Singapore Professor Denied Tenure, Sparks Academic Freedom Debate

ALL content used in this not-for-profit blog remain the property of their respective owners.
http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/03/01/singapore-professor-denied-tenure-sparks-academic-freedom-debate/

A Singaporean university has denied tenure for a second time to an outspoken journalism professor known for his critical political commentary, prompting some scholars and students to accuse the school of curtailing academic freedom.

NTU’s decision was first reported Sunday by Cardiff University journalism professor Karin Wahl-Jorgensen, who had reviewed Mr. George’s application as an external expert. Calling the decision “an outrage” on her Twitter page, Ms. Wahl-Jorgensen described Mr. George as “one of the foremost public intellectuals in Singapore [who was] denied tenure because he sometimes expresses political opinions.”

Her statements prompted the ire of other journalism scholars and many of Mr. George’s students, past and present. Over 800 people have signed a petition to the university’s administrators, asking them to explain the decision and answer allegations of “political discrimination.”

“These are serious allegations that will affect the global reputation of the university, and the onus is on the university to categorically dispel them,” said Bhavan Jaipragas, an NTU journalism undergraduate who delivered the petition and met with university officials on Thursday. Mr. Bhavan said further meetings will be held to discuss the matter.

NTU declined to comment on Mr. George’s case, but said in a statement that it has “a rigorous tenure process…[that] is purely a peer-driven academic exercise comprising internal and external reviewers.”

A former journalist with a doctorate from Stanford and degrees from Cambridge and Columbia, Mr. George, who won the university’s top award for teaching excellence for 2009, has until next week to appeal the decision.