Minister of Foreign Affairs and Communications Surujrattan Rambachan has received a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration by distance education from an institution incorporated in Hawaii and closed down by the US authorities seven years ago. Rambachan told the Sunday Guardian yesterday that he received the doctorate from Pacific Southern University (PSU) in 1989, which would have been when he was serving as T&T’s Ambassador to Brazil. Recently, Rambachan was entrusted with disseminating information to the nation on matters of public interest but has failed to clear the air on his PhD qualification. PSU, which was operating as an unaccredited institution from 1995, was shut down by Hawaiian authorities in April 7, 2004. In a High Court judgement between the state of Hawaii and PSU, the institution was closed for operating an unaccredited degree granting institution in or from the State of Hawaii or under the ostensible authority of the laws of the State of Hawaii. An excerpt from the judgement states: “All defendants immediately cease conducting any and all business activities in the state of Hawaii, including the operation of any unaccredited degree granting institution.” Although the institution was incorporated in Hawaii, PSU was based in the state of California. The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs revealed that civil penalties under the judgement were repaid in full.
Students warned against registering
The mill is among several unaccredited higher learning institutions listed on a number of Web sites—
search Pacific Southern University-http://hawaii.gov/dcca/ocp/udgi/lawsuits/psu and
http://www.degreeinfo.com/distance-learningdiscussions/24945—pacific-southern warning students against registering. It is alleged that thousands of people yearning to attain status fork out thousands of dollars in return for flashy accolades. Rambachan’s Curriculum Vitae posted on Facebook had failed to disclose where he attained his PhD, only stating it was done via distance education. Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley had first raised the issue about the minister’s qualification, calling on the Prime Minister to clear the air. Rambachan, however, confirmed to Sunday Guardian yesterday that he attained his PhD from PSU.
First class honours at UWI
Investigations by Sunday Guardian revealed that nine years after Rambachan received First Class Honours with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Studies, he successfully went on to pursue his Masters in Business Administration at the University of Western Ontario, Canada. It was on his return from Canada that Rambachan, who has been described by his peers as “an exceptional student”, registered in 1980 to pursue his PhD at UWI. “Whenever we needed assistance we would go to him to help us,” one of his peers revealed yesterday. “His first and second degrees are solid, he earned First Class Honours,” he recalled. Further probing revealed that at the time, now head of the Integrity Commission Eric St Cyr, a then research officer at the Institute of Social and Economic Research at the UWI was Rambachan’s supervisor when he registered to pursue his PhD. The Commission chairman confirmed to Sunday Guardian that he was appointed to supervise Rambachan but refused to divulge why he never received his doctorate. Pressed further as to why Rambachan abandoned pursuing his PhD, the Integrity Commission head replied only: “That’s a long time ago. I was his supervisor once, and Dr Deosaran then supervised him. Dr Deosaran took over supervision when I left the university. There are three examiners on a doctoral thesis. It was not completed up to when I left the university; he had not completed the work for the degree up to the time I ceased being his supervisor. One of the examiners was Prof Wineridge; I cannot recall the names of the others.” Investigations further revealed that St Cyr retired from the UWI in 1992.
Rambachan tells a different story
However, Rambachan tells a different story of his 400 plus page thesis disappearing while under the watch of a Sri Lankan professor and found weeks later on the third floor of the library of the university. However, while registered as pursuing a doctorate at UWI in 1987, Rambachan opted to accept the diplomatic posting of Ambassador to Brazil under the then National Alliance for Reconstruction administration. Upon his return from Brazil in 1990, Rambachan began displaying a booster credit to his curriculum vitae—a PhD in Business Administration from distance education. However, unlike his Cabinet colleague Dr Roodal Moonilal who proudly displays his exemplary credentials after receiving an historic PhD cum laude distinction in Development Studies from the Government of the Netherlands Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, details surrounding Rambachan’s PhD are questionable. Whether Rambachan is offering consultancy services, or delivering addresses at functions, his portfolio has stuck to a particular pattern. Brochures, programmes, even his résumé have failed to list the institution from which Rambachan attained his PhD—only stating by distance education. However, his other academic achievements are listed in detail.
Rowley witch-hunts?
And, the very outspoken Rambachan, has further failed to quell widespread public speculation and to cap the Opposition’s theories regarding the authenticity of his PhD as he continuously dodges revealing the institution that bestowed the prestigious honour. Instead of clearing the air on the issue, Rambachan opted to shy away from it. In fact, confidential notes obtained by Sunday Guardian that had been sent to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar briefing her on how to respond to various news headlines, included a statement not divulging the institution where Rambachan attained his PhD. In an e-mail sent by the ministry’s parliamentary secretary Nicole Dyer-Griffith, who works under Rambachan, the PM was advised to respond to the allegations as follows: “Surely there are other issues on our national landscape to engage our attention, other than Dr Rowley’s never ceasing witch-hunt theories.
Dr Rowley: It’s a dangerous trend
Commenting on the issue, Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley described the outcome as “dangerous.”
“A trend is developing in this country where people wanting to misrepresent their qualifications. It is a dangerous thing because it could result in people being put in positions on the understanding that they have the training and the skills that go with those qualifications. In some instances the consequences could be dire.”
Rambachan responds
Q: In light of calls for you to clear the air on your PhD certification you acquired via distance learning, could you say at what university you attained the qualification?
A: 1989. Pacific Southern University which was approved by the California department of post secondary education and I graduated by presenting a thesis on Motivation which I defended before a panel of professors in California.
Sir, could you say who supervised you?
It was supervised by the university. I cannot remember the professor right now.
Why did you opt to stop pursuing your PhD at UWI after doing quite a lot of research?
I did a lot of research there after I lost elections in 1981. I lost my job at UWI, then I went back to try and pursue my PhD at UWI and they were getting difficulty to get a professor to supervise the thesis.
There was a professor (name called) from Sri Lanka who was head of the department and they lost my thesis. Finally, some months later they found the second volume of the thesis—because it was almost about 400 and some pages—on the third floor of the library among books. You can verify a lot of this from Dr Ramesh Deosaran. And so I dropped it, then I picked up back the thesis and I started to work again because my research was done at Neal and Massy Automotive industries then.
What was your thesis at this point?
New theory linking work as leisure.
Was Prof Deosaran your supervisor?
No, he was not my supervisor, but I was trying to get him and I discussed with him supervising it and then I just dropped it.
According to UWI records your thesis did not meet the criteria, at which point Dr St Cyr was your supervisor. Is this true?
Well, I never got to the point of defending the thesis which was Motivation, the link between work and leisure.
Rambachan’s qualifications
Personal Information Affiliation: UNC-A
Dr Surujrattan Rambachan is an Organisational Management Development Consultant by profession. He holds a First Class Honours Degree from the University of the West Indies, as well as an MBA from the University of Western Ontario, Canada and a DBA by Distance Education. Dr Rambachan also holds a Certificate in Export Planning and in Alternative Dispute Resolution. He is a Certified Trainer in the Models for Management Programme of Teleometrics International. In addition to the above, Dr Rambachan was the Academic Consultant to Roytec and a Consultant to the Royal Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr Rambachan also functioned as a Management and Leadership Development Consultant to the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, formerly the UWI-IOB.
Positions held
• Mayor of the Borough of Chaguanas 2003-2009
•Minister in the Ministry of Industry, Enterprise 3 April, 1990—19 November, 1991
•Ambassador to Brazil 1987-1990 (Info courtesy Facebook)
