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opinion
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Diploma or
degree? The "Movimiento 2025," a political group that's in charge of replicating the most anti-academic practices that the University of Panama has ever known and is composed of, among others, noted defenders of the military dictatorship, has nominated professor Gustavo García de Paredes to run for his fourth term as a university rector, for the 2006-2011 term. Given that article 33, section 2 of Law 24 of July 14, 2005 provides as a prerequisite "to be the principal authority elected, designated or ratified at the University of Panama it is necessary to possess a master's degree or doctorate, duly recognized by the University of Panama," professor Federico Ardila Acuña has reiterated to professor García de Paredes a respectful request from September of last year that he clarify to the university community whether he does or does not meet this requirement. Professor Ardila says that: "Those of us who move within the academic world know that the requirements for doctoral studies necessarily take at least two years of courses and seminars and afterwards the doctoral candidates take additional time to write and defend their doctoral dissertations." And then he reaffirms that propriety requires that García de Paredes explain to the university community and to Panamanians: · how it is that he obtained a doctorate in only one academic year of studies (September/October 1962 to June 1963); · if he's telling us that it's a matter of errors in the dates citice by the Seminario Universidad; · or if what he's showing off is one of those so-called "Indian doctorates." Ardila clarifies these questions in his missive to the candidate for re-election: 'Indies doctorate' or 'Indian diploma' are terms coined in the popular lexicon for 'doctoral diploma' as academic and legal usages specify under Spanish legislation on this matter. I don't believe it's unknown to you, my esteemed rector of the University of Panama, given that your university studies were undertaken in Spain. Moreover, I presume that you would also not fail to recognize that the 'doctoral diploma' issued by Spanish universities is not equivalent to the 'doctoral degree' they issue.
... Allow me to bring back to your memory, or to make reference so that you don't forget, some of the norms in effect in Spain in those years when you undertook your "doctoral" studies....
1. Royal Decree Number 351 of February 27, 1927, in its article 1 establishes that 'the Central University will be able to issue a diploma giving credit for the academic grade of doctor to foreign student who solicit and obtain it.' And immediately following --- read this well --- in article number 2: 'These diplomas don't confer any of the rights inherent in the acquisition of official doctoral degrees and can't, in any case, instance or circumstances be considered as equivalent of such degrees.'
Afterwards the Royal Decree says that the payments or tributes for the beneficiary of the issuance of these "doctoral diplomas" shall be half (50 percent) of those demanded for the doctoral degree (article 5).
2. By way of the Order of June 29, 1956 about the application of the Decree of June 25, 1954 in reference two the 'doctoral diploma,' the Ministry of Education of Spain, in response to a consultation from the University of Madrid's Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (the same in which you studied), specifies that 'the doctoral diploma does not confer any of the rights inherent in the official doctoral degree.' And in consideration of that 'it has generally turned out that the publication of doctoral dissertations at the university's expense is not a prerequisite for the issuance of the doctoral diploma.' That prerequisite is valid for the issuance of the official doctoral degree, as it is established in paragraphy 5 of article 9 of the above-cited decree.
This arrangement leads us to two conclusions: first, that the 'doctoral diploma' and the 'official doctoral degree' issued by Spain are definitely not equal nor are they equivalent to the same thing; and second, that it was neither a prerequisite nor an obligation for the univeristy to defray the expenses of publication of the dissertation for 'doctoral diplomas.'
It would thus be proper that you clarify why your dissertation, "The thoughts of don Lorenzo Hervás y Panduro: its significance in the spiritual sciences," appears as an "unpublished dissertation" in the dissertation catalogue at the University Complutense (which you formerly knew as the University of Madrid).
This appears to be the moment to demand that you clear up all doubts with respect to the doctorate that you tell us you possess --- not to the undersigned, but to the university community and to the country as I suggested to you in the previous missive, whose answer is still awaited. Professor Ardila ends his solicitude by insisting that "For the good of the University of Panama, whose prestige is affected by the diploma falsification scandals and your failure to act in the case of the former secretary general, who is a promoter and supporter of your re-election campaign; by the kiosk and photocopier scams run by perpetual student "leaders;" by the lack of transparency in the academic and financial management of your administrations; I once more risk punishment by insisting that you show the public your official doctoral degree from the University of Madrid." I would hope that professor García de Paredes, who has not lost opportunities to try to discredit other educators by questioning their degrees, show as soon as possible, as others of us have done much more quickly, the diplomas or degrees that he says he possesses, and also to permit us to know the books that he says he has written.
Miguel Antonio Bernal is a law professor at the University of Panama, host of the Alternativa radio show, president of the Colegio de Abogados Honor Tribunal (the national bar association's disciplinary committee), a member of the Violet Legion (an honor society of intellectuals named by French presidents) for his work as correspondent for Le Monde Diplomatique and a noted Panamanian human rights activist.
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