The Ethiopian Ministry of Education has issued a new directive restricting the use of the title “Doctor” by recipients of honorary doctorate degrees. Under the new rules, honorary degree holders are no longer permitted to use the title outside the institution that conferred the award.
The directive, signed by Minister of Education Berhanu Nega, also prohibits the nomination of serving government officials and political candidates for honorary doctorate degrees.
Additionally, the policy limits the authority to confer honorary doctorates to established universities that meet specific academic standards. To qualify, institutions must have graduated at least eight cohorts of students and be offering third-degree programmes such as PhDs. Universities that do not meet these benchmarks are barred from granting honorary degrees.
The directive further mandates that institutions must comply with both national and international academic standards before awarding honorary doctorates.
According to the guidelines, the honorary title may be awarded to Ethiopian or foreign individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their professional fields. It may also be conferred posthumously or to groups, provided all other conditions are met.
Under Section Two, Article 10 of the directive, full-time employees, members of university senates, and administrative staff are excluded from nomination unless their formal association with the institution has ended.
