Ellis Ferdinand's Desk

In Defence of the PhD: Why Mussa Dankwah’s Comment on Gordon Brown Misses the Mark

6th June 2025

In Defence of the PhD: Why Mussa Dankwah’s Comment on Gordon Brown Misses the Mark

By Ellis Ferdinand | EducationGhana.org | June 7, 2025

In a recent social media commentary, Mussa Dankwah, a respected Ghanaian pollster and researcher, remarked:

“Gordon Brown was a UK Prime Minister with a PhD and he never put Dr before his name or PhD after his name while he was the Chancellor or PM.”

Though factually accurate, the underlying implication of this statement — that using the “Dr.” title as a PhD holder is excessive or unnecessary — merits serious reflection. Not because it questions a stylistic choice, but because it unintentionally risks undermining the value of academic achievement, especially in African contexts where educational journeys often come with greater structural and financial barriers.

🎓 UK Political Culture ≠ Global Academic Norms

Let’s be clear: Gordon Brown did not reject his academic credentials. His decision to forgo the “Dr.” title reflects the norms of British political culture, not a global standard. In the UK, it’s common for even medical doctors and professors to keep such titles outside of political or civil service settings, where formal titles like “Rt. Hon.” or “MP” are prioritized.

However, equating this tradition with an academic or continental African context is misleading. In Ghana, as in many parts of the global South, the “Dr.” prefix symbolizes hard-earned intellectual achievement—often won through years of study, research, and public contribution.

✍️ The PhD Title: Not Vanity, But Validation

A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is more than a nameplate. It represents:

3–7 years of research and thesis development
Contribution to peer-reviewed knowledge
Leadership in education, innovation, and public policy
In many cases, overcoming deep institutional and financial challenges

To question or downplay its use risks trivializing the intellectual labor of those who commit themselves to high-level academic inquiry—especially when such achievements are rarer and harder to access in countries like Ghana.

🎓 Explore: How Ghanaian PhD Holders Shape National Development

🧭 Cultural and Historical Significance in Africa

Titles such as “Dr.,” “Prof.,” and “Ing.” are deeply respected cultural signifiers in Ghana and across Africa. They convey:

Recognition and legitimacy
Aspirational value for the younger generation
An assertion of identity and authority in postcolonial academic spaces

In many ways, calling someone “Dr.” in Ghana is not about ego—it is about visibility in a world that has historically undervalued African scholarship.

📚 Also read: Professor George K.T. Oduro: Leading Reforms in Ghanaian Education

🎯 PhDs as a Strategic National Asset

Countries like Rwanda, Kenya, and South Africa now invest heavily in PhD training to support national development in:

Artificial intelligence and tech innovation
Agricultural modernization
Climate science and resilience
Public health systems

Ghana too must recognize and empower its PhD holders as thought leaders and architects of national progress.

🔗 Recommended: The Future of Higher Education in Ghana

✅ Conclusion: Celebrate, Don’t Minimize, Academic Excellence

Mr. Mussa Dankwah’s example is contextually valid within UK politics. But to use it as a universal benchmark risks misrepresenting the global value of the PhD title.

Let us celebrate intellectual merit and protect the dignity of those who have climbed to the highest rungs of academia—often against great odds. For if we devalue academic excellence, what exactly are we aspiring to as a nation?

📌 About the Author
Ellis Ferdinand is an Educational Researcher and Editor at EducationGhana.org. He writes on education policy, reform, and intellectual equity across Africa.
📧 Contact: ellisferdinand@ymail.com
🔗 Twitter: @highlight