The National Authority for Quality Assurance of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (ANAQ-Sup) has officially declared that the State of Senegal does not recognize doctoral degrees issued by private higher education institutions. In a press release, the Executive Secretary of ANAQ-Sup, Prof. Massamba Diouf, stated that the degrees of PhD, doctorat unique, d’université ou d’ingénieur issued by these institutions do not comply with the regulations in force. According to the ANAQ-Sup, these diplomas do not comply with the conditions defined by Decree No 2012-1116 on the award of doctoral degrees, nor with those of Decree No 2021-1790, which amends the texts on the recognition, classification and equivalence of higher education diplomas. Article 15 of the decree specifies that the habilitation to award a doctoral degree must be the subject of a ministerial decree, adopted after a thorough evaluation by the ANAQ-Sup. Article 16 adds that this habilitation may be applied for by a public or private institution, or jointly by several legally created establishments. Or, according to ANAQ-Sup, no private institution currently in operation has obtained this habilitation, which renders the doctorates they award unrecognized by the State of Senegal. “Therefore, the holders of these diplomas cannot avail themselves of the title of doctor, either at national or international level, notably under the World and African conventions relating to higher education”, insists Professor Massamba Diouf. As a regulator, the ANAQ-Sup instructs the institutions concerned to immediately cease issuing these illegal diplomas and to strictly comply with the Senegalese legislation on higher education. However, the Autorité clarifies that the State diplomas of doctor in medicine, pharmacy and dental surgery issued by public or habilitated universities are not concerned by this warning. To verify the habilitation of an establishment or the accreditation of a diploma, ANAQ-Sup invites students, parents and professionals to consult its official website.
Doctorates awarded by private institutions: the State does not recognise them, ANAQ-Sup warns
