RIYADH – The Ministry of Higher Education has rejected about 400 certificates submitted for accreditation so far this year. The ministry said it discovered 22 forged degrees among the certificates while 391 of them were rejected for various reasons, a local newspaper reported. It said most people who possess forged degrees do no submit them for accreditation at the ministry. The report said 391 degrees were rejected because they did not conform to the standards set by the ministry for accrediting degrees obtained outside the Kingdom. Abdullah Al-Qahtani, Director of the General Administration for Accrediting University Degrees at the Ministry of Higher Education, urged employers in the private and public sectors to ensure that qualifications of potential employees are accredited before hiring them. Al-Qahtani said all government employees are required to get their degrees accredited by the ministry. He said holders of fake degrees could face prosecution. He added that the Ministry of Higher Education is working with the Shoura Council to come up with new regulations to criminalize forgery and use of degrees. — SG
