The value of ‘academic maturity’
“the academic profession has not gone through much change within the last few decades. the structures of academia within universities in Malaysia have concentrated more on quantitative production of books and articles, promoting academics to the level of professors; no changes that relate to rigorous standards have really challenged the traditional modes of promotion. hardworking and bright academics have done well, though not all of them have been appointed emeritus professors.
Some academics have left the profession in search of greener pastures, while some have stayed put and not cared whether they received promotion or not. the question thus remains: has the system within academia been competitive and rigorous enough?” – Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Hood Mohd Salleh, 80, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
“In 1983, when I was pursuing my doctorate in the United States, I was taught by a professor who was in his 70s. here, we tell our academics to retire at age 60 just when they are about to ‘mature’. the early part of an academic’s career is spent juggling clinical work, teaching and conducting research. By the time we are ready to start producing impactful studies, and are more experienced to guide and supervise budding researchers, it is time to retire. It’s such a loss because we have so much more to contribute to the nation. In my three decades at Universiti Malaya (UM), I served in various roles, including as dean at the faculty of dentistry, as campus administrator and as co-founder of several centres at the varsity, including the UM Centre of Addiction Sciences (UMCAS). I’m also proud to have helped initiate UM’S online registration system in 2001. there were not many women leaders in public universities then. During my time, the retirement age was 56 but I felt that I had so much more to contribute so upon leaving UM, I joined Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia as a senior professor and deputy dean for Postgraduate, Research and Internationalisation. I was appointed the Asian Academy of Preventive Dentistry’s first female president in 2010 and was the founding dean of dentistry at a private university where I taught for 10 years. Last year, I was appointed adjunct professor at UM. I am thankful to be able to continue serving. Why let knowledge and experience go to waste by asking academics to retire when they can still contribute? In many parts of the world, senior academics are encouraged to be active in their countries’ development.” – Dr Rahimah Abdul
Kadir, 71, adjunct professor, Universiti Malaya
“I got my professorship when I was 48, so I had served as a professor for 12 years, but for many who only got into the position one to two years before retirement, it is not a good return on investment, considering the enormous amount of public funds spent on a professor’s education. this is significant when compared to a clerk who joins the civil service after the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), where not much of public funds are used for education, but will serve the nation for
42 years. Comparatively, judges have an older retirement age, because of the maturity garnered after years of hearing cases and making judgements. So why are professors different? The promotion of professors is based on scholarly achievement and denotes achievement of academic maturity. Not everyone can achieve the grade of professors, going through rigorous training and promotion exercises, as well as examining dozens of doctoral candidates. When the academic staff from public universities requested an increase in the retirement age from 55 to 60, the government granted it to everyone, including jobs which require physical dexterity, like drivers and general workers, and this defeats the purpose.” – Datuk Dr Omar Shawkataly, 65, adjunct professor, Universiti Kuala Lumpur and Asia Metropolitan University “Medicine will always be rooted in apprenticeship and the roles of senior, experienced mentors are vital. I spent nearly a decade studying at Universiti Malaya – five years as an undergraduate, fours years as a postgraduate – and had the privilege to be under the guidance and mentorship of many senior professors. Clinical acumen and surgical skills can only be honed through years of training – there is no shortcut to it. When stuck with a difficult case, I have found the input and perspectives of senior professors or consultants timely and apt. Although technology has provided us with tools such as instructional videos and simulated surgery, nothing replaces the hands and eyes of a seasoned surgeon!” – Dr Timothy Cheng, 34, junior orthopaedic surgeon, Sabah