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FM
Former Member

Freddie Kissoon misleads on doctorate

 

Dear Editor,

My good friend Freddie Kissoon wrote in a recent column that he “completed certification for the doctorate at the University of Toronto”. There is no such “certification” issued by University of Toronto or any doctoral degree granting institution in any part of the globe. If you complete the doctorate, you are granted a degree or diploma (PhD, DPhil, EdD etc). Some doctoral programmes (depending on the country and institution) require course work plus a Comprehensive Level I and Level II exam (oral and written exams as was the case with myself, David Hinds, Baytoram Ramharack and others), a dissertation (thesis used by Freddie) that must be defended before a doctoral committee that includes your supervisor or mentor. The dissertation can only be defended at the request and advice of the mentor or supervisor (to the department faculty) if he or she feels it can pass muster and if the student is ready. The dissertation can be rejected by the entire committee (minimum of three Professors) or delayed until suggestions or advices offered for revision are acted upon.

Freddie claims he did not submit his dissertation for the PhD; that often happens to several candidates for the doctorate for varied reasons. For example, people like Ramharack and myself were tied up with Guyana’s freedom struggle, and as such it took us longer than others to research, write and defend the dissertation.

Several people (Guyanese and non-Guyanese) who were among the student batch for the doctorate programme with Freddie at the Univ of Toronto (and obtained doctorates) stated otherwise. They claimed Freddie did submit his dissertation and it was rejected. Others said Freddie’s studies was terminated suddenly for violations of University rules and he had to forcibly return to Guyana dejected.

In Guyana, it is asserted by UG lecturers Freddie misled people into believing he was “Dr” until he was “outed” by supporters of the PNC working at UG. As revealed to me by a lecturer, it was not Indians or PPP supporters who betrayed him, and that led to his salary title demotion at UG. After he was outed, SN publisher David DeCaires terminated his column; off course, David recognized Freddie wrote a whole lot of non-sense.

Whatever the case of his degree, the University of Toronto did not issue a certification to anyone who did (unfinished) doctoral studies. It was either you got the doctorate or not. Those who completed their work got doctorate. Those who did not complete the studies were not issued “certification” as being in the doctoral programme.

That is misleading people. It would seem odd that a person would be given a certification for the PhD up to the thesis level if the degree requires a thesis.

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram

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I do not agree with all of Freddie's columns, but I know he has about 2 to 3 pieces peer-reviewed articles in spite of not finishing his doctorate. He has done what an academic is supposed to do. Note newspaper letters and columns are not peer-reviewed. In the academic world they are considered "services to the community." They do not determine promotion or tenure, but they certainly don't hurt. All those who are doing PhDs for the Dr title should know you have no credibility. The purpose of a PhD is to create new knowledge rather than show off the Dr title. Instead of writing nonsense about Freddie...why not show your PhD mettle by producing a peer-reviewed book or a few articles? Some of these people go to India and badam!! They turn up with doctorates. Honorary docs are also not PhDs.

FM

To the best of my knowledge none of the members participating in this conversation are PhD candidates or holders of a Dr title.  We are not looking for credibility.  We are just simple, god fearing people who care about the welfare of the oppressed. 

Bibi Haniffa

This is what Freddie must have meant in his last letter:

"All but dissertation" (ABD) is a mostly unofficial term identifying a stage in the process of obtaining a research doctorate in the United States and Canada.

 

BTW Freddie posed as having a PhD until he got outed   Lawd have murcey!

FM
Originally Posted by Bibi Haniffa:

To the best of my knowledge none of the members participating in this conversation are PhD candidates or holders of a Dr title.  We are not looking for credibility.  We are just simple, god fearing people who care about the welfare of the oppressed. 

TK has a PhD gurl.

FM
Originally Posted by Bibi Haniffa:

I think by now we all know not to believe anything that Freddie Kissoon says.  

No we do not all know that. Freddi may be given to hyperbole, innuendos and  crass insults but more often than not he is on point. He may not be the most tactful man and possibly a little rash with his generalizations but he has been instrumental to uncovering many truths.

 

That he is reviled by the PPP contingency is understood. They were kept on the back foot by him most of their existence. That alone speaks to his character. Surely with their cash they could bribe him to shut up but they could not.

 

Instead they harassed him, fired him and his wife from their jobs and used the agencies of the state to punish him. And still he stands.

FM
Originally Posted by TK:

I do not agree with all of Freddie's columns, but I know he has about 2 to 3 pieces peer-reviewed articles in spite of not finishing his doctorate. He has done what an academic is supposed to do. Note newspaper letters and columns are not peer-reviewed. In the academic world they are considered "services to the community." They do not determine promotion or tenure, but they certainly don't hurt. All those who are doing PhDs for the Dr title should know you have no credibility. The purpose of a PhD is to create new knowledge rather than show off the Dr title. Instead of writing nonsense about Freddie...why not show your PhD mettle by producing a peer-reviewed book or a few articles? Some of these people go to India and badam!! They turn up with doctorates. Honorary docs are also not PhDs.

Freddie could select a subject category as Post colonial Power struggle in an ethnically divided society and get his PHD in a couple of years at any of our elite schools because I read many works from scholars on similar materials who have never been up front and personal with the subject matter than he is. I am sure many universities would honor that in an analysis of our society.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by Bibi Haniffa:

I think by now we all know not to believe anything that Freddie Kissoon says.  

 

FRAUDie Kissoon has been busted.

 

Someone should ask about his alleged criminal charge in Canada for allegedly stealing.

FM

"They claimed Freddie did submit his dissertation and it was rejected. Others said Freddie’s studies was terminated suddenly for violations of University rules and he had to forcibly return to Guyana dejected."

FM

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