Dishonouring honorary degrees
Wilhelm von Humboldt, a liberal educationist and founder of the prestigious Humboldt University of Berlin, once said that “education will be good to the extent that it suffers no outside intervention; it will be all the more effective, the greater the latitude left to the diligence of the teachers and the emulation of their pupils”.
In addition, Humboldt ardently believed that education, truth and virtue must be disseminated to such an extent that the 'concept of mankind' would take on a great and dignified form in each individual.
It was this conviction that led the great German philosopher to lay down the foundation of Germany's tertiary education in its modern form. But von Humboldt would certainly be in tears had he lived long enough to witness the state of higher education today.
While one should agree genuine knowledge can only come through comprehensive learning, academic rigor, assiduous inquiry, attentive contemplation and public debate, it is sad to know that, everywhere in the world, universities - precisely the places where knowledge is processed and produced - have turned into a huge and expensive business.
Once upon a time, going to a college or university was perceived as a privilege, and those who left with a doctorate would even imply one's having achieved something extraordinary in life. It was a clear affirmation of one's academic competence and fortitude. No more, no less.
A substantive and meaningful contribution
Although not everyone has to write a voluminous thesis on a specific field in order to be conferred a PhD, it is still necessary to convince the general public that one has made a substantive and meaningful contribution to society or a certain cause before an honorary doctorate is deemed appropriate.
Therefore, Nelson Mandela (left) rightly deserves the slew of academic accolades conferred on him, for the great statesman - despite his controversial past as a firebrand nationalist leader - has indeed inspired the world with his pleas for forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal in the post-apartheid South Africa.
So did Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi.
Not any more. Nowadays, universities look increasing like places where sheer absurdity and hypocrisy is allowed to be processed. Every now and then, we look on in helplessness at honorary doctorates being handed out to high-profile individuals who have done virtually nothing to make this world a better place, or who have yet to prove that they have made sufficient contribution to merit such an award.
In Malaysia alone, a large number of local institutes of higher learning - both national and private - are in a rush to furnish politicians with an honorary doctorate. And it was no surprise that Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology saw it fit to acknowledge the 'contributions' made by Mahathir Mohamad, Abdul Taib Mahmud and Ling Liong Sik.
It was largely due to these men that the arts institute has been able to become a leading player in regional education, and Lim Kok Wing himself has long been a patron of Barisan Nasional.
But what have these politicians done to make themselves truly deserving of the acknowledgement? Mahathir single-handedly destroyed our judicial system, whose erstwhile independence and fearlessness were once highly regarded within the Commonwealth, while Ling as transport minister failed to improve the chronically ill public transport systems across the country, and is now facing charges of corruption over the PKFZ fiasco.
As for Taib, he will surely be best remembered for having presided over a powerful fiefdom within the Federation of Malaysia at the expense of the people and natural resources in Sarawak.
Given the symbiotic relationship between the ruling coalition and the academic world in Malaysia, it would be fanciful to expect university officials to rise above politics. At national universities where mediocrity leap-frogs meritocracy, officials are no more than bureaucrats whose task is to ensure a culture of subservience rein supreme so that their rice bowls may remain intact.
While many of the private institutes are doing brisk business thanks to the government's effort to gradually transfer educational burden onto the private sector, they are in turn required to return their 'benefactors' with some favours in order to keep the business running.
However, quid pro quo arrangements are no longer a practice unique to the so-called developing world. Over the years, the world has seen universities dish out awards to individuals and even celebrities for various reasons. Paul McCarthy and Celine Dion were both 'honoured' in this fashion, while Barack Obama became a somewhat embarrassed recipient of no less than two honorary doctorates for merely being the first Black American to be elected president.
Kermit the Frog, honorary doctor
In 1996, Long Island University conferred an honorary doctorate on Kermit the Frog. While there were loud protests against the university making a mockery of an otherwise honorable award, the act itself managed to attract public attention and press coverage of a disproportionate scale.
Whether or not the conferring of these awards to the individuals was based on merit remains to be seen, but it is no secret that even universities that are renowned for academic excellence are not immune from temptation.
In 2008, Saif Gaddafi received his PhD from the eminent London School of Economics (LSE), and it has been revealed that the son of the Libyan leader could have plagiarised his thesis. Worse, the LSE is now being accused of having received £1.5 million (RM7.5 million) in 'donations' from the Gadaffi regime, which has prompted its director Howard Davies to resign in taking responsibility over the exposures.
The LSE's scandalous deals with Tripoli are most probably a tip of the iceberg. In fact, ever since Margaret Thatcher's famous statement to bring 'universities closer to business' in 1988, British universities have been engaged in a frenzy to source for funding by all means as the Iron Lady was 'rolling back the state', with many being forced to compromise on the principles of democracy and human rights for the sake of big money.
Seeing the ominous things to come, Oxford University had in 1985 delivered a stunning snub to Thatcher by refusing her an honorary degree in protest of her cuts in funding for education, making her the first Oxford-educated prime minister to be denied the honour since 1945. True to form, Thatcher's office issued a statement that “if they do not wish to confer the honour, the prime minister is the last person to wish to receive it”.
But one must agree all honorary doctorates are handed out in recognition of the importance of an individual's scholarly, professional or social achievements. In other words, the individual's distinction must match the award itself.
It therefore defies all logic that Najib Abdul Razak - who has been implicated in the gruesome murder of a Mongolian national and is now busily vandalising the country's beautiful landscape with his tacky 1Malaysia logos - should have been awarded an honorary doctorate by Monash University.
That a distinguished Australian university would have succumbed to the patronage syndrome as its Malaysian counterparts is indeed telling. Either the prime minister himself has successfully charmed the university, or some big money has changed hands, as is the case with the LSE.
JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.
In addition, Humboldt ardently believed that education, truth and virtue must be disseminated to such an extent that the 'concept of mankind' would take on a great and dignified form in each individual.
It was this conviction that led the great German philosopher to lay down the foundation of Germany's tertiary education in its modern form. But von Humboldt would certainly be in tears had he lived long enough to witness the state of higher education today.
While one should agree genuine knowledge can only come through comprehensive learning, academic rigor, assiduous inquiry, attentive contemplation and public debate, it is sad to know that, everywhere in the world, universities - precisely the places where knowledge is processed and produced - have turned into a huge and expensive business.
Once upon a time, going to a college or university was perceived as a privilege, and those who left with a doctorate would even imply one's having achieved something extraordinary in life. It was a clear affirmation of one's academic competence and fortitude. No more, no less.
A substantive and meaningful contribution
Although not everyone has to write a voluminous thesis on a specific field in order to be conferred a PhD, it is still necessary to convince the general public that one has made a substantive and meaningful contribution to society or a certain cause before an honorary doctorate is deemed appropriate.
Therefore, Nelson Mandela (left) rightly deserves the slew of academic accolades conferred on him, for the great statesman - despite his controversial past as a firebrand nationalist leader - has indeed inspired the world with his pleas for forgiveness, reconciliation and renewal in the post-apartheid South Africa.So did Martin Luther King Jr, Mother Teresa and Mahatma Gandhi.
Not any more. Nowadays, universities look increasing like places where sheer absurdity and hypocrisy is allowed to be processed. Every now and then, we look on in helplessness at honorary doctorates being handed out to high-profile individuals who have done virtually nothing to make this world a better place, or who have yet to prove that they have made sufficient contribution to merit such an award.
In Malaysia alone, a large number of local institutes of higher learning - both national and private - are in a rush to furnish politicians with an honorary doctorate. And it was no surprise that Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology saw it fit to acknowledge the 'contributions' made by Mahathir Mohamad, Abdul Taib Mahmud and Ling Liong Sik.
It was largely due to these men that the arts institute has been able to become a leading player in regional education, and Lim Kok Wing himself has long been a patron of Barisan Nasional.
But what have these politicians done to make themselves truly deserving of the acknowledgement? Mahathir single-handedly destroyed our judicial system, whose erstwhile independence and fearlessness were once highly regarded within the Commonwealth, while Ling as transport minister failed to improve the chronically ill public transport systems across the country, and is now facing charges of corruption over the PKFZ fiasco.As for Taib, he will surely be best remembered for having presided over a powerful fiefdom within the Federation of Malaysia at the expense of the people and natural resources in Sarawak.
Given the symbiotic relationship between the ruling coalition and the academic world in Malaysia, it would be fanciful to expect university officials to rise above politics. At national universities where mediocrity leap-frogs meritocracy, officials are no more than bureaucrats whose task is to ensure a culture of subservience rein supreme so that their rice bowls may remain intact.
While many of the private institutes are doing brisk business thanks to the government's effort to gradually transfer educational burden onto the private sector, they are in turn required to return their 'benefactors' with some favours in order to keep the business running.
However, quid pro quo arrangements are no longer a practice unique to the so-called developing world. Over the years, the world has seen universities dish out awards to individuals and even celebrities for various reasons. Paul McCarthy and Celine Dion were both 'honoured' in this fashion, while Barack Obama became a somewhat embarrassed recipient of no less than two honorary doctorates for merely being the first Black American to be elected president.
Kermit the Frog, honorary doctor
In 1996, Long Island University conferred an honorary doctorate on Kermit the Frog. While there were loud protests against the university making a mockery of an otherwise honorable award, the act itself managed to attract public attention and press coverage of a disproportionate scale.
Whether or not the conferring of these awards to the individuals was based on merit remains to be seen, but it is no secret that even universities that are renowned for academic excellence are not immune from temptation.
In 2008, Saif Gaddafi received his PhD from the eminent London School of Economics (LSE), and it has been revealed that the son of the Libyan leader could have plagiarised his thesis. Worse, the LSE is now being accused of having received £1.5 million (RM7.5 million) in 'donations' from the Gadaffi regime, which has prompted its director Howard Davies to resign in taking responsibility over the exposures.
The LSE's scandalous deals with Tripoli are most probably a tip of the iceberg. In fact, ever since Margaret Thatcher's famous statement to bring 'universities closer to business' in 1988, British universities have been engaged in a frenzy to source for funding by all means as the Iron Lady was 'rolling back the state', with many being forced to compromise on the principles of democracy and human rights for the sake of big money.
Seeing the ominous things to come, Oxford University had in 1985 delivered a stunning snub to Thatcher by refusing her an honorary degree in protest of her cuts in funding for education, making her the first Oxford-educated prime minister to be denied the honour since 1945. True to form, Thatcher's office issued a statement that “if they do not wish to confer the honour, the prime minister is the last person to wish to receive it”.
But one must agree all honorary doctorates are handed out in recognition of the importance of an individual's scholarly, professional or social achievements. In other words, the individual's distinction must match the award itself.
It therefore defies all logic that Najib Abdul Razak - who has been implicated in the gruesome murder of a Mongolian national and is now busily vandalising the country's beautiful landscape with his tacky 1Malaysia logos - should have been awarded an honorary doctorate by Monash University.
That a distinguished Australian university would have succumbed to the patronage syndrome as its Malaysian counterparts is indeed telling. Either the prime minister himself has successfully charmed the university, or some big money has changed hands, as is the case with the LSE.
JOSH HONG studied politics at London Metropolitan University and the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. A keen watcher of domestic and international politics, he longs for a day when Malaysians will learn and master the art of self-mockery, and enjoy life to the full in spite of politicians.
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