I am a second-year Ph.D. student/ RA from a university in country A. I had no problem with my laboratory or supervisor; however, as I could not speak the country language and was not able to find a post-doc position due to COVID, I applied for another Ph.D. positions in the same field in an English speaking country (B) where I can immigrate and settle. In the application form for the universities and during my interviews I mentioned that I am a Research assistant, omitting the fact that I am a Ph.D. candidate. Also, my supervisors mentioned that I am RA in their recommendation letters understating the fact that I want to go to an English-speaking country. The problem is that due to my successful publications our department from country A decided to grant me the Ph.D. degree at the end of this year. I read some posts that mentioned that omitting your academic records is the same as falsifying them. I am afraid if I go to country B without mentioning that I was in fact a Ph.D. candidate and RA and get in huge trouble, so what should I do? Is it be unethical if I omit this fact that I would have a Ph.D., refer it to RA and start the second Ph.D. in the same field in country B, or should I contact the prospective professors from country B and tell him/her that I did a mistake in my application?
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1Are the two PhDs in the same field? Also, did the award o the first one come after the application for the second? Ethically you need to inform them somehow.– BuffyCommented Feb 24, 2021 at 13:34
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4I'm not clear on your motivation for all this. If your current department is awarding you your PhD, couldn't you take that and move to another country? Why start over in a new program in the same field?– JeffCommented Feb 24, 2021 at 14:02
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1I see, is a post-doc an option?– JeffCommented Feb 24, 2021 at 16:20
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1Beware how immigration officials may look on someone seeking a degree as a path to immigration rather than for education.– Bryan Krause ♦Commented Feb 24, 2021 at 21:56
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1I voted to close because the answer was in the question: "I read some posts that mentioned that omitting your academic records is the same as falsifying them."– Anonymous PhysicistCommented Feb 25, 2021 at 6:12
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2 Answers
The comment of Jeff is worth considering. Do you really need a second doctorate to migrate.
But, under the circumstances, send a message to the new university stating that since your application, you were awarded a PhD, but, assuming you want to, that you still want to continue your application and enter the new program. Stress that the research proposal will be different if accepted.
Hiding the recent degree could come back to harm you.
Does country B automatically recognize academic degrees from country A? If yes, I'm afraid you have to mention your PhD. If no, technically for them in country B you are (academically) nobody.
