IKINAALARMA ng Commission on Higher Education (CHED) ang ulat na may “instant doctorate degrees” umanong iniaalok ang isang unibersidad.

Ang usapin ay isang mantsa sa reputasyon ng higher education institutions (HEIs) ng bansa, ayon sa kagawaran.

Sa isang Viber message, sinabi ni CHED Chairperson Prospero “Popoy” de Vera III na bumuo na sila ng isang team na titingin sa nasabing usapin partikular na sa ulat na may kinalaman ang Adamson University.

“This report of an instant Ph.D. [doctor of philosophy] is very alarming and prejudicial to the international reputation of our Philippine HEIs. CHED will not condone any violation of existing laws and regulations, autonomous or not,” ayon kay De Vera.

Ani De Vera, kinokonsiderang “autonomous” ang Adamson University gayunman, maaari pang tingnan ang naturang bagay.

“Although Adamson is free from regular monitoring of CHED as an autonomous institution, CHED may conduct investigation activities in case of reports of a general erosion of quality and/or gross violation of laws, rules, and regulations that adversely affect the good standing of the PHEI as a reputable educational institution,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Nauna rito, nagpalabas naman ng kalatas ang Adamson University bilang tugon sa report mula sa South China Morning Post at ABS-CBN News.

“In light of the recent news, Adamson University strongly denounces the malicious claim perpetrated by certain sectors in Hunan province, China on the Ph.D. degrees obtained by Shaoyang College faculty members from Adamson University,”ayon sa unibersidad.

Giit ng unibersidad, sila ay mahigpit na sumusunod sa guidelines ng CHED lalo na ang “requisition of a six-term residency, highlighting its “stringent verification procedure.”

Sa nasabing report, isang nagngangalang Peng Xilin, sinasabing Shaoyang University party secretary, ay sinibak sa posisyon dahil sa pag-rehire sa 22 guro na di umano’y natapos ang kanilang doctorate sa Adamson University sa loob lamang ng 28 buwan.

Binatikos naman ng provincial education authorities si Peng dahil sa pagiging “unscientific” at “imprecise.”

Tinatayang umabot na sa USD27 million ang nagastos ng Chinese school official para i- finance ang mga guro na di umano’y nakakuha ng “instant Ph.D.”