I’ve moved on: Dr Cherian George

The former NTU journalism professor is back in the spotlight after responding to recent comments by president Bertil Andersson on Dr George’s tenure rejection.

By Shaun Tan, News Editor

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: Dr Cherian George maintains that he was assessed to have met NTU’s academic criteria for promotion and tenure in 2009.
PHOTO: NANYANG CHRONICLE FILE PHOTO

Former NTU journalism professor Dr Cherian George said he is ready to move on, after addressing comments made by NTU president Bertil Andersson on the reasons he was denied tenure.

Last month, Prof Andersson told Times Higher Education in an interview that the denial of tenure to Dr George — who lectured at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) — was made as an “academic decision”.

However, Dr George disagreed, maintaining that only political reasons were given for the denial of tenure.

In a blog entry on 24 Dec, Dr George requested for Prof Andersson to retract his comments. Prof Andersson subsequently clarified in a statement that “there was no intention to lower the reputation or standing of Dr George in his field of work”.

Despite the clarification, Dr George said it did not remove the implication that his tenure was rejected solely on academic grounds. Now an associate professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University, he described his exit from NTU early last year as “forced”.

In an email reply to the Nanyang Chronicle last Friday, Dr George said: “I merely wanted to set the record straight and I’ve done so. As things stand, I don’t see any need to say or do anything more. I’ve moved on.”

In his blog post, he had suggested that NTU release relevant documents if it wanted to dispute his clarification, adding that he was “prepared to waive any confidentiality rights” he has.

When asked if NTU would be responding to Dr George, a spokesman said: “The university has already stated its position on several previous occasions and will not be making any further comments.”

As for whether he would consider returning to Singapore as an academic in future, Dr George told the Chronicle: “Singapore is my home, but academia is a highly globalised industry, so my future plans will probably involve a tradeoff between the emotional pull of my birthplace and professional opportunities that may lie elsewhere. For the next several years at least, I have no reason to leave Hong Kong.”

Current and former WKWSCI students the Chronicle spoke to felt that after a decade teaching in the school, Dr George’s departure last February left behind some large shoes to fill.

WKWSCI alumnus, Tan Wei Zheng, 27, said that Dr George was “always clear, engaging and was well-respected by everyone”.

“I remember that he always managed to navigate nuances very well, not just in his writing and public persona, but in his teaching as well. He made complicated topics easy to understand,” Tan said.

Tammie Kang, 22, a final-year WKWSCI student, shared the same sentiments, calling Dr George a “precious asset” to the school.

She said: “His views were very refreshing to us students, as most of us have a very sheltered view of the media here. It’s sad that he left, because he gave us another perspective of the world at large.”

Updated: 14 Jan, instances of “tenureship” changed to “tenure”.