From his LinkedIn profile, he also claimed he has been a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne since 2017.
A lecturer in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chidi Ugwu has been caught in a scandal after he clinched a fellowship to the prestigious Harvard University in the United States, aided in part by false claims.
Ugwu of the sociology and anthropology department of the university, who was recently appointed to the Radcliffe Fellowship of Harvard University, was said to have added to his credentials claims of having a diploma from the University of Helsinki.
From his LinkedIn profile, he also claimed he has been a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne since 2017.
According to information on his files, he was born on April 14, 1975.
However, investigations into his claims have revealed that Ugwu had made false claims as both institutions denied having such a name in their records.
“Part of Ugwu’s claims to justify being appointed a Radcliffe Fellow of Advanced Studies at Harvard University include obtaining a diploma from the University of Helsinki in 2013. He also added that he had been a guest lecturer at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
“Separate inquiries were made with both institutions to verify the claims, but neither found his name in their records,” a source said.
A response to an inquiry about the authenticity of Ugwu’s from the University of Helsinki obtained by SaharaReporters shows his records could not be found in the school’s student information system.
Replying to the inquiry made by an interested party, one Leea Sokura from the school’s registry, wrote in a mail: “Unfortunately I’m not able to find anyone whose name and date of birth would match these in our student information system, which would indicate it’s unlikely he’s ever been a student at our university.”
Similarly, a mail from one Joseph, HR Assist at the University of Melbourne titled Re: Chidi Ugwu, in response to an inquiry about Ugwu’s claim said, “Unfortunately, I can’t seem to find that person in our records.”
Sources also said some students alleged that Ugwu extorted from them substantial amounts of money in August 2019 and the school’s Vice-Chancellor directed that the funds should be refunded to the students.
However, the directive has yet to be obeyed, with the hapless students too scared to speak up.
The lecturer was said to have truly graduated from the department of sociology and anthropology of UNN in 2006 and later obtained his doctorate in 2016 from the same institution.
However, according to sources at the institution, Ugwu is part of a ring of power brokers in the university that goes right up to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Charles Igwe, who has been entangled in allegations of age falsification.
-Sahara reporters
