Thursday, May 13, 2010

Purchasing a title

The Swedish daily newspaper Sydsvenskan had a free-lance reporter purchase a title at the "International Biographical Centre" in Cambridge. This is the place where a professor from Lund had purchased a title. The company insists, when interviewed on the record, that they fact-check all the details submitted by the "nominator". Nomination is free - but copies of the diploma and books and what not cost a pretty penny.

Christian Fredriksson purchased the award "2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st century" with the following CV:
  • PhD in reproductive linguistics
  • Secretary General of the Snapphanes, a 17th century pro-Danish guerrilla organization that fought against the Swedes in the Scanian wars, in Skyffladyngamåla, a mythical Swedish small town
  • CEO, The Future Factory
  • Regional Chancellor Exchequer
  • Lecturer at the University of Eslöv (which does not exist, pretty much the only thing in Eslöv is the regional tax office)
  • Swedish Honorary Veterinarian
  • Supreme Pellejoens of Lundagaard
For just 2000-5000 SEK ($260 - $650), depending on the number of things he wanted to have with this title on it, the title was his. So much for fact checking.

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