Outspoken academic Cherian George takes up post at Hong Kong Baptist University

[h=1]Outspoken academic Cherian George takes up post at Hong Kong Baptist University[/h]
PUBLISHED : Saturday, 10 May, 2014, 2:59am
UPDATED : Saturday, 10 May, 2014, 4:06am



Toh Han Shih [email protected]






A Singaporean academic and former journalist who has had disagreements with the city-state's government is to take up a job at Hong Kong Baptist University.

Cherian George said he would start in August as an associate professor.Cherian George said he would start in August as an associate professor. The head of the university's journalism department, Steve Guo Zhongshi, confirmed George's appointment on an initial contract of three years. George's move to Hong Klong comes after he was twice denied tenure at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

"I'm impressed by how Hong Kong academics, students and the public have succeeded in vigorously defending academic freedom. [Hong Kong] universities have excellent media scholars who are deeply engaged in society's issues, and the idea of working alongside them is very attractive," George said.

The Reporters Without Borders 2014 Press Freedom Index ranked Hong Kong at 61 and Singapore at 150 out of 180 nations.

Guo said: "It was the unanimous view of the selection panel that George will be a valued asset to the international journalism branch."

An argument between George and the Singaporean government broke out over an article published in The Straits Times on October 10, 2005, in which he alleged the government adopted "a calibrated approach to coercion". In a letter to The Straits Times two days later, Chen Hwai Liang, press secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, denied the claim. In another letter to the newspaper on October 14, Lee's press secretary questioned whether George was non-partisan, saying: "It is no surprise that critics of the government, especially those who are academics, want to portray themselves as dispassionate observers above the fray."

George worked for The Straits Times, Singapore's main newspaper, as a reporter and editor in the 1990s. In September 1999, The Straits Times quoted Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore, as saying, if "you can denigrate the prime minister at will - whether it's Catherine Lim [a Singaporean writer] or Cherian George - and they succeed in undermining the standing of the prime minister - where do we go from there?".

George joined NTU's school of communication and information in 2004. In 2009, he was promoted to associate professor but denied tenure. In 2010, NTU blocked the school's attempt to renew George's position as head of journalism, Singapore's only university-level department that trains journalists. He was denied tenure again last year and his appeal was rejected. His contract ended in February with no possibility of renewal.

"As for why the university took the exceptional step of withholding tenure from a faculty member who it decided had earned promotion, I was assured this had nothing to do with my scholarship, teaching or service, and not because I had conducted myself inappropriately," George wrote on his blog.

An NTU spokesman said: "The tenure review process is purely a peer-driven academic exercise with two equally important criteria, distinction in scholarship and high quality teaching. Service and other contributions to the university, profession or community are also taken into consideration."



This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as Academic who upset Lee Kuan Yew gets HK job

CG had everything going for him except his conscience. Rising star journalist, SPH scholarship, sterling qualification, moving into the powerful editorial team, founding member of the roundtable, married to cabinet minister's sister and acquainted with the elite on both sides of the divide, and yet cannot find a job in Singapore.

In contrast, the stat board with half backed qualification who screwed the speaker of parliament while two timing her boyfriend got a good job with an establishment figure's company.

One chap told me that he thinks like an Indian and that he if he thought like a Chinese, he would probably be the Editor of SPH. I thought it was an odd statement until others in the group thought it was quite true. Apparently it's down to genes.

This is one reason why HK has a dynamism and spark not seen in sterile Singapore.

The fear of the Yale College faculty that passed a resolution in 2012 that stated, "We urge Yale-NUS to respect, protect and further principles of non-discrimination for all, including sexual minorities and migrant workers; and to uphold civil liberty and political freedom on campus and in the broader society" has been borne out.

Yale NUS has not issued a single statement on the society within which it exist and appears to be heading in the direction of what a group of professors critical of the project characterize -” saying that the graduates “will have to be conformist, dissent-averse managers and executives who serve the global profit motive

HK is lucky that the British had moved away from colonialism to a more democratic approach. It also had a number of locals that built on the spirit of independent thought like Martin Lee.

From our birth, we ended up with a despot who tolerated no criticism. Since he delivered bread, jobs and housing we allowed it to go on.

You can also see their freedom in the local press.

borom said:

This is one reason why HK has a dynamism and spark not seen in sterile Singapore.

The fear of the Yale College faculty that passed a resolution in 2012 that stated, "We urge Yale-NUS to respect, protect and further principles of non-discrimination for all, including sexual minorities and migrant workers; and to uphold civil liberty and political freedom on campus and in the broader society" has been borne out.

Yale NUS has not issued a single statement on the society within which it exist and appears to be heading in the direction of what a group of professors critical of the project characterize -” saying that the graduates “will have to be conformist, dissent-averse managers and executives who serve the global profit motive

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scroobal said:

CG had everything going for him except his conscience. Rising star journalist, SPH scholarship, sterling qualification, moving into the powerful editorial team, founding member of the roundtable, married to cabinet minister's sister and acquainted with the elite on both sides of the divide, and yet cannot find a job in Singapore.

In contrast, the stat board with half backed qualification who screwed the speaker of parliament while two timing her boyfriend got a good job with an establishment figure's company.

One chap told me that he thinks like an Indian and that he if he thought like a Chinese, he would probably be the Editor of SPH. I thought it was an odd statement until others in the group thought it was quite true. Apparently it's down to genes.

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The great LKY himself said he couldn't have created the Singapore he envisioned if he was working with a majority Indian population. And he was right. One wonders if his son knows what he wants to create.

Satyr said:

The great LKY himself said he couldn't have created the Singapore he envisioned if he was working with a majority Indian population. And he was right. One wonders if his son knows what he wants to create.

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And he could with a Malay majority? Let's face it his only virtue was that the peasantry was backward enough for him to shine. Look at the surrounding countries even now. Are they anywhere near us? Did Hong Kong or japan do badly without the old fool?

rushifa666 said:

And he could with a Malay majority? Let's face it his only virtue was that the peasantry was backward enough for him to shine. Look at the surrounding countries even now. Are they anywhere near us? Did Hong Kong or japan do badly without the old fool?

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No, left unsaid , he needed a Chinese majority population with the PAP as the Imperial Court.
He was a great believer in the superiority of the East Asian Work Ethic until the Asian currency crisis shut him up. After that he probably felt it safer to worship money, or as he calls it, talent.

Cherian has more class than NTU. So much for a world class institution. I predict their world ranking will drop 10 places in the next round of assessments.

If only CG steps forward and join the WP ...... Power!

NTU was told to stop it despite his boss and his peers making the recommendation for tenure. The very first Vice Chancellor of University of Singapore resigned in protest when old man introduced certificate of eligibility for admission to University even if they had made the grade qualification. The Cert was off course a political instrument and meant to keep Chinese Ed students who were aligned with anti-establishment protest from furthering their studies. Interesting the guy was an Indian and the father of Gopal Baratham. What is also interesting is that his closest friend was the brother in law of old man, the former PS for MOH.

I think old man read him well as well as Catherine Lim. He knew that both would not enter politics and thus he threw down the gauntlet. Both feel that being political observers should be allowed of any individual as it is everywhere in the world else except where people like Mugabe, Saddam, Kim, Lee etc are around.

The OB markers are an ingenious mechanism that many people accept and do not realise the damage it has done. They actually think these rules are good as it provides guidelines. They are rubbish. It is probably the best scam in politics after the Trojan horse. Honestly if any political appointee is found wanting, anyone should point it out. The PM of a country is not god neither is he a saint. If the PM is indeed capable, he should not have any problems dismissing his critics. Old Man and GCT did the OB marker thing because they realised they could not sue Catherine Lim. She did not defame anyone. All she said was that the PAP rule has divided the nation.

CG has to realise that he cannot carry on like that. He has to make a stand. He should do what CSM in WP did. Chen as many suspect is not a natural politician and never will be. He will continue to make observations and provide non-confrontational framework to resolves issues. He is also the best handler of the press. But because of his background and prior status he adds to the pulling power of WP. CG can do the same while it will be Low, Sylvia, Pritam, Png, Yen etc who will deliver the punches.

GoldenDragon said:

If only CG steps forward and join the WP ...... Power!

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