RECENTLY, the quality of our PhD graduates came into question after some 400 doctoral candidates were awarded the title “Dr” at a public varsity’s convocation ceremony in January.
Netizens took to social media to join the debate after a politician wondered aloud how Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) was able to award 398 PhD scrolls during its 44th convocation ceremony when higher-ranked foreign varsities do not award that many PhD degrees in a year.
The varsity was quick to respond, explaining that the number of PhD graduates was common among research universities, and that the awarding of degrees was in line with the best practices among the world’s leading universities where the enrolment of PhD candidates is an indicator of a university’s excellence.
But does quantity mean quality?
When assessing the quality of a PhD graduate, Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) Postgraduate and Continuing Education director Prof Dr Murali Raman said the roles of the institutions, the supervisors and the PhD candidates themselves must be considered.“The institution must understand the candidates’ motivations for doing their PhDs and know exactly what these students need to achieve their goals.
“Once this is clear, the institution must provide them with strong academic support and continuous engagement,” he said, adding that universities must nurture a vibrant research ecosystem that brings together industry and academic experts to listen to the candidates pitch their ideas or research proposals.
The quality of graduates, he said, also correlates to institutions providing continuous training on key aspects such as writing skills, knowledge of methodology, commercialisation of ideas and problem formulation.
Equally important is having supervisors who are approachable mentors.
“I was blessed with a supervisory team during my PhD journey who took care of my overall well-being and placed my research interest above their own.“In this context, supervisors can make or break a candidate’s ability to produce quality work.
“Inspirational supervisors often produce graduates with high-impact research outcomes,” he said.
PhD candidates, said Prof Murali, play an important role in producing quality work. They must be introspective.
Ask yourself questions such as, “What problem am I trying to address or understand better? Why is it vital to research these issues? What impact can one make if these issues are examined?” before embarking on the doctorate, he suggested.
“With clarity comes quality, and with quality, satisfaction is achieved,” he said, advising graduates to never give up when trying to gain recognition for their research.
He said publishing in top-quality scholarly journals and securing grants that either push the boundaries of knowledge further, impact policy agenda, or generate innovative outcomes for industries, should drive research.
“Being a quality graduate should not be about adding the title ‘Dr’ to your name but rather, about bringing an impact to society via research outcomes.”
Academy of Professors Malaysia (Cluster of Education and Human Development) chair Prof Dr Rosna Awang-Hashim reminded varsities to be selective when accepting talents for their PhD courses to ensure the quality of graduates.
Once accepted, these inquisitive minds must be nurtured, and supported, she said.
“Enable doctoral candidates to undertake independent research that meets certain set standards.
“The candidates themselves must also be mentally and academically ready to invest their effort to harness their potential. They must have the right attributes such as the aptitude, motivation and drive to satisfy their curiosity as knowledge seekers.
“Without having a clear goal when enrolling in a PhD programme, candidates may not be able to truly dedicate themselves to the journey,” the Universiti Utara Malaysia professor of educational psychology explained.
Stressing the importance of quality control when it comes to PhD assessments, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia deputy vice-chancellor (research and innovation affairs) Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Wahab Mohammad said local varsities have stringent procedures in place where external and internal examiners are appointed to examine PhD theses.
“Some of these examiners are from universities outside of Malaysia.
“Additionally, students are often required to publish their findings in reputable journals which are peer-reviewed by other experts,” he said, adding that if these steps are strictly implemented, the quality of the country’s PhD graduates can be maintained.
On par with the world
PhD candidates, said Prof Murali, must be encouraged to generate outcomes that relate to current global issues, and national aspirations and agendas.
Carrying out research that addresses real-world issues, either from the fundamental theory level or applied level, should be the country’s focus if we are to be on par with the rest of the world in producing PhD graduates of high quality, he said.
“Scholars, guided by supervisors, should understand key issues that warrant research, based on suggestions from leading authors and industrial inputs, and that are of international relevance.
“High-impact research outcomes for Malaysia will also require strategic thinking and closer examination of how research funding is allocated for academic purposes.
“More emphasis can be given on research outcomes that address societal concerns at the global level, in addition to work being published in top-tier scholarly outlets,” he added.
Similarly, Prof Abdul Wahab said universities must ensure that candidates’ PhD research scopes and objectives touch on important issues that are critical to their areas of study.
This must be a practice from the beginning where candidates and supervisors critically analyse the problem statements and the need to carry out the PhD research.
“The methodology used should be on par with other research studies.
“This is the only way PhD findings can generate important results and solutions for the research, and be published in reputable journals or presented at international conferences,” he added.
Prof Rosna stresses the importance of varsities improving their admission requirements and student-supervisor ratios.
Candidates choosing the right areas of study, she offered, is just as crucial. The quality of supervisory practices and training provided by the universities is also important, she said.
“Quality supervision demands high commitment from both candidates and supervisors; thus, if the supervisor-candidate ratio is high, the quality of supervision may be compromised.
“Having qualified external examiners with a good academic track record will ensure the quality of the research work or thesis,” Prof Rosna said.
It is also imperative for Malaysia to re-examine the way its universities are ranked and rated, she said, adding that it is often the number of PhD candidates and candidates who graduate on time that are looked at for rankings and ratings.
She said it is better if focus is placed on the systematic and meaningful learning experiences, or wisdom inquiry of candidates, instead of how soon they can graduate.
Another issue of concern, she said, is a growing number of younger academics who are driven by key performance indicators and promotion exercises in higher education institutions.
“This can cause the quality of supervision to be further compromised,” she said.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
