PETALING JAYA: Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has replied to the PhD graduate’s claim that its programme is not accredited or not recognized abroad.
It denied the claim and said that the scroll received by the graduate on 9 April 2020 is written as Doctor of Philosophy only, not a PhD in Mass Communication as alleged, The Star reported.
“The Doctor of Philosophy programme is a programme that has been fully accredited with code MQA/SWA/0399.
“UPM has conducted an accreditation process for all our Master of Science and PhD programmes.
“We obtained full accreditation approval by the UPM Senate on Dec 12,2013, for all fields of study, was awarded self-accreditation status by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) in 2010, and have been given autonomous status to implement the accreditation process on all academic programmes offered at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, ” the varsity said in a statement.
UPM responsed after a graduate from Palestine alleged in a letter that its PhD is not recognised.
Saed Jnaidi claimed that he was informed his PhD in Mass Communication from the varsity was not accredited by the government when he applied for a visa to get a one-year orientation in the Netherlands.
He said his PhD was not recognized by Netherlands where he wanted to go to live and stay.
“But I’ve missed this very important opportunity because of accreditation failure on the part of UPM.
“I have contacted the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) to inquire about this matter and I have been informed that the PhD programme of Study in Mass Communication, which I attended for about five years, has not been formally registered (with) the MQA.
“This disappointed me greatly especially considering that I have graduated from UPM for almost two years now, ” he added in the letter.