Dear Mr Tan
Referring to the recent case in which a NTU professor was denied tenure, and he may have to leave the job, I offer a perspective on why Singapore should treasure their own Singaporean professors.
Singapore is a country that is devoid of natural resources and is therefore highly dependent on human resource. To be admitted to a Singapore university and work as a professor requires highest qualification, such as PhD, and many years of training. Surely, they must be regarded as valuable human resource for Singapore.
At the same time, Singapore is a small country, and by simple logic, its local talent pool may also be small. Professors around the world compete with each other to gain international recognition. Indeed, it is not easy for Singapore professors or any professor to gain such recognition as they are competing with the best in the world. For Singaporean professors, such as Prof. Cherian George, who have gained international recognition, surely they must be regarded as local talent.
For universities in Singapore that are heavily subsidised with Singapore money, surely they must hire and retain Singaporeans as their professors so that the money is invested into the careers of Singaporeans.
At the end of the day, there aren't that many Singaporean professors. They are precious, treasure them!
Former Singaporean professor
As the Hokkien expression goes: “Why press your hot cheeks on someone’s cold backside?” Their stand is clear, so Cherian should just cut himself loose from the control freaks and strike out on his own. Without the Sword of Damocles over his head, he is free to expand on some of the comments that might have got him into trouble with his bosses. He might like to follow in the footsteps of another media figure who has written a juicy bestseller.
ReplyDeleteHave talent will travel.
ReplyDeleteProf Cherian, if this place dun treasure or retain you, the local talent, there will be many other places in the wide world who will welcome you aboard.
In a David and Goliath fight, you can't beat the latter, just shrug off and move abroad with suitcases and family. Anywhere else could be called home and workplace.
From afar, you could put critical skills to work to your heart's content, but here in Singapore, have to act dumb to survive.