Stains amid academic excellence

More must be done to counter misconduct in universities and its possible impact on the younger generation.

IT is convocation season when thousands of students graduate with hopeful dreams for the future. Each cohort has their own fears: while talk of disruption by Covid-19 has diminished considerably, uncertainty abounds over the effect of AI on career prospects, geopolitical tensions (which affect investments and tariffs) and domestic political stability.

In my forewords and speeches, I have been as realistic as possible, pointing out that humanity has faced pessimistic outlooks before, but in the course of history, economies and societies usually find new ways to make life for future generations better than the past.

I gave 2,000 degrees or awards across three institutions I’m involved with, and tried to do so with a smile. I remember my five-second interaction with the person who passed me my Bachelor’s degree (Prof Anthony Giddens, director of the London School of Economics) – so perhaps decades from now someone will remember their interaction with me. If there is time, I ask sports scholars what their sport is (if it is squash, I ask what is their best shot), and music graduates who their favourite composer is (if it is Bach or Chopin, what their favourite piece is).

While some graduates are too nervous to have a conversation on stage, others are supremely confident in asking for a selfie or any one of the vast selection of Gen-Z hand gestures, some of which I don’t understand, so apologies if I have been baited into producing an offensive one!

Convocations also provide an opportunity for universities to show off their latest accomplishments, whether it is climbing up the rankings or celebrating a faculty member who has achieved international recognition in their field.

There are honorary doctorates awarded on successful entrepreneurs who have created thousands of jobs and have much to share; there are emeritus professorships bestowed upon innovators who are still keen to contribute to academia.

Partnerships with prestigious institutions is a favourite way to imply quality, more so when actual things happen past an MOU stage. Joint degrees and academic exchanges are substantial, but the presentation of new research is even more exciting.

Recently, the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah delivered a keynote at St Antony’s College at the University of Oxford for an international workshop entitled ‘Pahang and the Sea: Maritime Networks and Connections between South-East Asia and Beyond’.

According to the college’s website, speakers “examined how maritime routes connected Pahang with China, the Persian Gulf, and Europe.

Topics included the history of trade and migration; the preservation and curation of heritage; and the political, economic and cultural connections between Pahang and the wider world”.

Sadly, enlightening events such as this are overshadowed, even undone in the eyes of public, by professors spouting nonsense. The more notorious academic maritime claim of the last month was that the ancient Romans learnt shipbuilding from the Malays. If I had not done the tiniest bit of reading after watching the 2011 film Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, I too might have been misled!

Thankfully there were strong rebuttals, such as from Dr Sharifah Munirah Alatas who called for action against the professor causing embarrassment to the profession.

Corruption further facilitates the destruction of our academic sector. In recent months, the National Audit Department has investigated why contracts worth nearly RM60mil were awarded to unsuitable companies at the UKM teaching hospital.

As its Chancellor Tuanku Muhriz pointed out in his Royal Address during the university’s 53rd convocation last week, “the negative consequences of misconduct will go beyond just financial loss.

It will threaten the quality of service, patient comfort, and treatment, as well as disrupt the training of medical students at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM).

At the same time, it damages the reputation of HCTM and weakens UKM’s credibility”.

The academic community has taken note that the Datukships of both the former vice-chancellor and chairman of the board of the directors have been withdrawn. However, there is a political dimension as well given that public universities are answerable to the Higher Education Ministry.

It speaks volumes that the decision makers dither in taking stronger action, strengthening the assumption that the status quo is beneficial to them politically or financially.

Despite some progress being made in the exposure of such practices, many potential whistleblowers remain silent, fearful for their jobs and sceptical of anti- corruption efforts.

However, I would urge earnest academics and honest policymakers to not give up hope and do what they can to counter the rot.

Even if small changes can be made to improve student outcomes, the impact on the next generation can be immeasurable.

Tunku Zain Al-‘Abidin holds various roles across public and private universities. The views expressed here are the writer’s own.