Sums it up nicely actually
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:32 am
#33
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,320
From: Oakville, ON, CA
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Husband got his BA from Cambridge (3 years), then did a Masters (1 year), then did a diploma (1 year), then 7 years after graduating was awarded a second Masters based on experience (which even he laughs at).
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:33 am
#34
Muskoka, Ontario
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,045
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
this doesn't seem like a bigoted, xenophobic post ....... but a description of events that have happened to colchar in real life.
Mind you, our problem here is Chinese and South East Asians :lol
Having spent all my working life in North America in universities, it is a fact that students with degrees arrive from foreign lands to take a higher degree, and are completely unprepared because they are so far behind.
Been there, seen that,
........... and also seen the despair of faculty members who have accepted a foreign student who has achieved high marks in the English literacy test in any country but especially eastern ones ........... only to be almost incomprehensible on arrival. They have neither language nor writing skills ...............
the only explanation is that substitutes have taken the exam for them.
I go to a Family Practice Medical Clinic at the university, where intending Family Practitioners do their 2 year residencies. Over the last 15 years, I think I have seen residents from all over the world ............... including a couple from, yes Pakistan, who were almost incomprehensible to me.
Yes, I did ask for another resident the next time I made an appointment, although I like to stay with the same person for the 2 years.
The Resident with the very best command of the English language that I have had was from ............
Nigeria
I could have listened to him all day ............ and he was a fantastic doctor as well
Mind you, our problem here is Chinese and South East Asians :lol
Having spent all my working life in North America in universities, it is a fact that students with degrees arrive from foreign lands to take a higher degree, and are completely unprepared because they are so far behind.
Been there, seen that,
........... and also seen the despair of faculty members who have accepted a foreign student who has achieved high marks in the English literacy test in any country but especially eastern ones ........... only to be almost incomprehensible on arrival. They have neither language nor writing skills ...............
the only explanation is that substitutes have taken the exam for them.
I go to a Family Practice Medical Clinic at the university, where intending Family Practitioners do their 2 year residencies. Over the last 15 years, I think I have seen residents from all over the world ............... including a couple from, yes Pakistan, who were almost incomprehensible to me.
Yes, I did ask for another resident the next time I made an appointment, although I like to stay with the same person for the 2 years.
The Resident with the very best command of the English language that I have had was from ............
Nigeria
I could have listened to him all day ............ and he was a fantastic doctor as well
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:34 am
#36
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,876
From: BC, Canada
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
it's even funnier when you get a PhD, or DPHIL based on years of experience 
and you know the person who has applied for, and got it
and you know the person who has applied for, and got it
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:38 am
#37
Magnificently Withering
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,908
From: Oakville, ON
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Honorary doctorates are not uncommon. Honoris Causa degrees of all types are regularly awarded by many institutions. What point are you trying to make?
Novo's more than capable of speaking for himself if he wishes, so I won't comment except to say that he is almost certainly the most senior academic on these boards...
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:41 am
#38
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,876
From: BC, Canada
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Tirytory
I'm not sure what the problem is that you have with me, but I wish you'd get off my back!
The "problem" is the lack of English language skills ....................
it seems you are in Ontario, which means you may not know much about Vancouver.
We have very large Chinese and South East Asian populations, mostly new immigrants.
Imagine getting a taxi with the driver unable to communicate with you, and who is just barely capable of having passed the exam to navigate around Vancouver
Imagine having a Chinese MP whose English language skills are poor, understandable but poor ......... and who staffs her constituency office with only Chinese speakers. This in a riding that is about 25% Chinese, 25% East Asian, and 50% "others"
Imagine having malls where literally every store is owned by Chinese, and every signage is in a Chinese dialect, with very little translation into another language
Imagine having a row of shops in the centre of Toronto where every sign is in Chinese with no English showing at all
Richmond, just south of the river from Vancouver, has almost 50% Chinese.
Don't get me wrong .............. I do enjoy living here, but I wish I had learnt Chinese many years ago instead of French and German!
I'm not sure what the problem is that you have with me, but I wish you'd get off my back!
The "problem" is the lack of English language skills ....................
it seems you are in Ontario, which means you may not know much about Vancouver.
We have very large Chinese and South East Asian populations, mostly new immigrants.
Imagine getting a taxi with the driver unable to communicate with you, and who is just barely capable of having passed the exam to navigate around Vancouver
Imagine having a Chinese MP whose English language skills are poor, understandable but poor ......... and who staffs her constituency office with only Chinese speakers. This in a riding that is about 25% Chinese, 25% East Asian, and 50% "others"
Imagine having malls where literally every store is owned by Chinese, and every signage is in a Chinese dialect, with very little translation into another language
Imagine having a row of shops in the centre of Toronto where every sign is in Chinese with no English showing at all
Richmond, just south of the river from Vancouver, has almost 50% Chinese.
Don't get me wrong .............. I do enjoy living here, but I wish I had learnt Chinese many years ago instead of French and German!
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:47 am
#39
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,876
From: BC, Canada
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Honoris Causa is entirely different from a PhD applied for .............
A degree Honoris Causa is awarded by the university to honour the contributions of someone to science, arts, whatever ........ even including politicians. The deliberations are usually done in secrecy, the honoree is not supposed to know until notified that he / she is to be so honored.
A PhD or DPhil applied for ............... entails the person writing to the university, finding out the regulations needed to apply for it, and then submitting the necessary things ........... this can be a series of published works, a series of papers written specially for the degree, or some such
so one is applied for, and the other is given
and I apologise ............... my caps key stuck, and I did not catch the mistake.
A degree Honoris Causa is awarded by the university to honour the contributions of someone to science, arts, whatever ........ even including politicians. The deliberations are usually done in secrecy, the honoree is not supposed to know until notified that he / she is to be so honored.
A PhD or DPhil applied for ............... entails the person writing to the university, finding out the regulations needed to apply for it, and then submitting the necessary things ........... this can be a series of published works, a series of papers written specially for the degree, or some such
so one is applied for, and the other is given
and I apologise ............... my caps key stuck, and I did not catch the mistake.
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:47 am
#40
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 30,259
From: Europe (to be specified).
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
What's a DPHIL all in upper case? Not familiar with that one.
Honorary doctorates are not uncommon. Honoris Causa degrees of all types are regularly awarded by many institutions. What point are you trying to make?
Novo's more than capable of speaking for himself if he wishes, so I won't comment except to say that he is almost certainly the most senior academic on these boards...
Honorary doctorates are not uncommon. Honoris Causa degrees of all types are regularly awarded by many institutions. What point are you trying to make?
Novo's more than capable of speaking for himself if he wishes, so I won't comment except to say that he is almost certainly the most senior academic on these boards...
Your remarks about Honoris Causa reminded me of my former boss when I worked in Germany. Even before he won a Nobel Prize in 1995 he had numerous honorary doctorates. Now in Germany, they love long, complete, titles so he was "Professor Dr. Dr. h.c mult. Erstename Nachname.
And his wife, of course, was Frau Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult ...
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:49 am
#41
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,876
From: BC, Canada
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
BTW ............
I am not about to enter into a competition with Novo as to who is the most senior academic on these boards
but I do have a lot of experience with and at universities, over 40 years worth
I am not about to enter into a competition with Novo as to who is the most senior academic on these boards
but I do have a lot of experience with and at universities, over 40 years worth
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:52 am
#42
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 3,876
From: BC, Canada
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Soon-to-be-ex-academic though. :thumb up:
Your remarks about Honoris Causa reminded me of my former boss when I worked in Germany. Even before he won a Nobel Prize in 1995 he had numerous honorary doctorates. Now in Germany, they love long, complete, titles so he was "Professor Dr. Dr. h.c mult. Erstename Nachname.
And his wife, of course, was Frau Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult ...
Your remarks about Honoris Causa reminded me of my former boss when I worked in Germany. Even before he won a Nobel Prize in 1995 he had numerous honorary doctorates. Now in Germany, they love long, complete, titles so he was "Professor Dr. Dr. h.c mult. Erstename Nachname.
And his wife, of course, was Frau Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult ...
that has always amused me
It was even more amusing when we were over there, and I was addressed in the same way
we have friends who are both PhDs ................ one particular couple found that the wife was addressed as Dr Frau Professor Dr xxxxxxx
hopefully that was just a joke by their hosts in Germany
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:57 am
#43
Magnificently Withering
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 6,908
From: Oakville, ON
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
Mind you, our problem here is Chinese and South East Asians
Having spent all my working life in North America in universities, it is a fact that students with degrees arrive from foreign lands to take a higher degree, and are completely unprepared because they are so far behind.
Been there, seen that,
........... and also seen the despair of faculty members who have accepted a foreign student who has achieved high marks in the English literacy test in any country but especially eastern ones ........... only to be almost incomprehensible on arrival. They have neither language nor writing skills ...............
the only explanation is that substitutes have taken the exam for them.
Been there, seen that,
........... and also seen the despair of faculty members who have accepted a foreign student who has achieved high marks in the English literacy test in any country but especially eastern ones ........... only to be almost incomprehensible on arrival. They have neither language nor writing skills ...............
the only explanation is that substitutes have taken the exam for them.
I go to a Family Practice Medical Clinic at the university, where intending Family Practitioners do their 2 year residencies. Over the last 15 years, I think I have seen residents from all over the world ............... including a couple from, yes Pakistan, who were almost incomprehensible to me.
Yes, I did ask for another resident the next time I made an appointment, although I like to stay with the same person for the 2 years.
Yes, I did ask for another resident the next time I made an appointment, although I like to stay with the same person for the 2 years.
The Resident with the very best command of the English language that I have had was from ............
Nigeria
I could have listened to him all day ............ and he was a fantastic doctor as well
Nigeria
I could have listened to him all day ............ and he was a fantastic doctor as well
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:58 am
#44
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,320
From: Oakville, ON, CA
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
I can no longer read posts with excessive use of full stops and a zillion and one line breaks with no punctuation or capitalization. My eyes are bleeding. That is all.
Apr 9th 2015 | 8:59 am
#45
Thread Starter
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 8,671
From: Toronto
Re: Sums it up nicely actually
I've been to Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard.
All three were day trips that involved a lot of booze.
I think on balance Oxford edged it. They are very strict in New England and you have to take your passport with you to enter a pub.
Occasionally I get sent an email saying I can have a degree from Harvard but I have to send them a few hundred bucks for the official paperwork. I'm out of money though as I gave my wallet to the inspector for safe keeping whilst walking to the office this morning.
All three were day trips that involved a lot of booze.
I think on balance Oxford edged it. They are very strict in New England and you have to take your passport with you to enter a pub.
Occasionally I get sent an email saying I can have a degree from Harvard but I have to send them a few hundred bucks for the official paperwork. I'm out of money though as I gave my wallet to the inspector for safe keeping whilst walking to the office this morning.
Last edited by JamesM; Apr 9th 2015 at 9:05 am.
