In every vibrant intellectual arena, value is measured by what is accomplished, not by what is claimed; by impact, not by aura. Yet the scientific, intellectual, and cultural landscape is increasingly witnessing a troubling phenomenon: the claim of unverified academic titles and the inflation of fabricated résumés, in which degrees, positions, participations, and research outputs are attributed without any trace in university records, peer-reviewed publishing platforms, or the archives of international conferences.

The problem is not ambition nor the pursuit of recognition, but deception when it becomes a means of leaping over merit. A doctorate is not a label attached to a name; it is a documented scholarly journey, accredited academic supervision, a public defense, and a research contribution that can be verified. Likewise, a curriculum vitae is not a space for embellishment, but a record of responsibility tested by facts rather than assertions.

More alarming still, such practices distort standards, falsify role models, and grant platforms to loud voices devoid of production, while serious and competent scholars working quietly are sidelined. When appearance precedes substance, trust in knowledge is eroded; the genuine researcher becomes indistinguishable from the purveyor of rhetorical discourse, and the cultural sphere turns into a noisy, meaningless space.

Authentic knowledge needs no exaggeration; it stands on its evidence—documentation, publication, scholarly engagement, and a verifiable presence. Titles without roots and résumés without proof, however dazzling their sheen, do not withstand the first serious question.

The call here is not for defamation, but for the protection of standards, the consolidation of a culture of verification, and the prioritization of impact over title and substance over aura. Societies that tolerate epistemic falsification drain culture of its meaning and reduce it to a marketplace of illusions.

The true wager remains on a cultural awareness that is not deceived by titles nor swayed by polished résumés, but continually asks:
Where is the impact?
And where is the evidence?

Prof. Dr. Ayed Mohammed Al-Zahrani

Secretary-General of the Swiss Association of Arab Academics and Scientists