DOHA: The Supreme Education Council (SEC) has urged employers to ensure they are not hiring people with fake education certificates.
The advice came in the context of an investigative report by New York Times about a company allegedly issuing fake university certificates to applicants worldwide, including the Gulf.
None of the universities mentioned in the report is included in SEC’s accreditation list, the council said in a statement yesterday. Over 3,000 people have obtained certificates from over 70 fake universities, according to the report. SEC said it usually updates the list of universities where Qataris are enrolled under its scholarship programme and issues another list as a guide for Qataris seeking education on their own. The list on SEC website includes 800 universities for scholarship students and 2,500 for the other segment. They have been selected from international universities, said the statement.
SEC, while issuing equivalency certificates check the authenticity of documents and ensure they are certified by authorities in the country where the education institution is based. In some cases, SEC seeks support from international agencies.
SEC said it is not surprising that some expatriates here would be holding fake certificates because some employers don’t verify their authenticity. “While many government entities are committed to making equivalency for their employees’ certificates, some private entities recruit foreigners without seeking equivalency certificates or consulting SEC,” it said. SEC said it cannot be held responsible if such companies fall victim to forged certificates and urged government and private entities to consult with it or seek equivalency certificates to avoid employing people with fake certificates, especially in key positions.
The Peninsula
