GERAK press statement on Mustafa Akyol

GERAK is appalled and condemns in no uncertain terms the deplorable manner in which renowned author, journalist and scholar, Musafa Akyol, was treated by the Malaysian religious and other authorities less than a week ago. 

GERAK’s concern is in three areas. First, the despicable, high-handed manner in which a respected visiting scholar was treated. Second, the seemingly growing nature of outside interference into academic exchanges and intimidation against academics. And, third, increasing intolerance, arguably based on the ignorance and arrogance (bodoh sombong) of those attacking academia and academics.

Mustafa Akyol, a Turkish scholar and journalist, and Senior Visiting Fellow at the prominent Wellesley College, was in Malaysia at the invitation of the Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF). This was the fifth time he’d come to Malaysia to speak, all at the invitation of the IRF. 

He had a punishing schedule of three public engagements over two days. On Sunday, 24 September, he started off in the afternoon by heading a roundtable discussion titled “Does Freedom of Conscience Open the Floodgates to Apostasy?” 

Later in the same day, he gave a public lecture titled "Is Democracy Still Relevant? The Experience of Turkey, Malaysia, and Other Nations."

The questioning by the religious authorities began after his first engagement and culminated with his detention at KLIA on Monday, the flurry of activities that followed, and his release, after being moved, like a common criminal, from one holding centre to another. 

And we can only imagine the agony he went through, not having access during this time to lawyers, his Malaysian hosts and his family.

Only 24 hours after his detention was he able to catch his flight back to the USA.

What happened to Mustafa Akyol must not be repeated. He was arrested not because of any criminal act but based on wild allegations. 

And the manner in which he was detained - not allowing him access for quite some time to his contacts here and to legal representation - smacks of the ways of a police state.

It is ironic and reprehensible that, at the same time, we welcome with open arms wanted fugitives and alleged terrorists, like Zakir Naik, and dance intimately with them.

Akyol was arrested because some petty religious bureaucrats didn’t agree with what he presented. Evidently they were uncomfortable with what he had to say about democracy, faith and justice. Or, perhaps more accurately, they were uncomfortable about what they perceived he had said about those issues.

Differences of opinion are the bread and butter of scholarship and academia. In the social sciences, especially, it is differences of opinion that result in the expansion of knowledge. Debates and discussions must be upheld for us to grow and mature as societies. 

GERAK condemns and opposes this latest attempt at the policing of knowledge and opinions, and the intimidation by faceless bureaucrats. 

It is bad enough that academia in Malaysia is predominantly directed by individuals and institutions that often have no clue what quality education is all about. 

It is worse when these same self-serving groups chastise and punish academics (and students) for providing alternative viewpoints. 

With this latest dark episode, a new element appears to have crept into the picture. According to news reports – and even the statements provided by the authorities – speakers (including academics evidently) now need to apply for accreditation (sijil tauliah) from the authorities before they can speak on religion (Islam). 

This is unprecedented and unreasonable, casting the net of authoritarian control over intellectual discourse way too far.

Indeed, it now appears that we have religious bureaucrats directly wanting a piece of the action, demanding that they certify and sanction the work of academics before anything else. 

GERAK opposes this dangerous and certainly undemocratic development, as we believe others concerned about academic freedom must as well. 

Just as we oppose the policing and regulation of knowledge by the ignorant, the unwise, and the unjust.

GERAK Exco

https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/396849

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/09/30/academics-body-opposes-accreditation-idea-for-speakers-on-islam/

Joint Message on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day 2017

Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers

5 October 2017

Teachers are a critical foundation of every society’s long-term strength – providing children, young people and adults with the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their potential.
 

But around the world, far too many teachers don’t have the freedom and support they need to do their vitally important jobs. That is why the theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day –“Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers” – reaffirms the value of empowered teachers and recognizes the challenges many encounter in their professional lives across the globe.
 

Being an empowered teacher means having access to high-quality training, fair wages, and continuous opportunities for professional development. It also means having the freedom to support the development of national curricula -- and the professional autonomy to choose the most appropriate methods and approaches that enable more effective, inclusive and equitable education. Furthermore, it means being able to teach in safety and security during times of political change, instability, and conflict.
 

But in many countries, academic freedom and teacher autonomy are under pressure. For example, at the primary and secondary school levels in some countries, stringent accountability schemes have put enormous pressure on schools to deliver results on standardized tests, ignoring the need to ensure a broad-based curriculum that meets the diverse needs of students.
 

Academic freedom is critical for teachers at every level of education, but it is especially critical for higher-education teachers, supporting their ability to innovate, explore, and stay up-to-date on the latest pedagogical research. At the tertiary level, teachers are often employed on a fixed-term, contingency basis. This in turn can result in greater job insecurity, diminished career prospects, higher workload and lower wages – all of which can restrict academic freedom and undermine the quality of education that teachers can deliver.
 

Across all education levels, political pressure and business interests can curb the ability of educators to teach in freedom. Teachers living and working in countries and communities affected by conflicts and instability often face greater challenges, including rising intolerance, discrimination, and related restrictions on research and teaching.
 

This year marks the 20 year anniversary of the 1997 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Higher-Education Teaching Personnel, which complements the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. Together, these instruments constitute the main reference framework on the rights and responsibilities of teachers and educators. Both stress the importance of teacher autonomy and academic freedom in building a world in which education and learning are truly universal.
 

As the world works together to realize the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals, we appeal to our partners in governments and across the education and private sectors to commit to building a highly skilled, valued and empowered education workforce. This constitutes a critical path to realizing SDG 4, which envisions a world in which every girl, boy, woman and man has access to quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.
 

This means securing decent working conditions and fair wages for all teachers including at the tertiary level. It means providing teachers with training and development. It means increasing the number of quality teachers, especially in those countries with high numbers of untrained teaching personnel. It means removing unnecessary restrictions on research and teaching and defending academic freedom at all education levels. Finally, it means raising the status of teachers around the world in a way that honors and reflects the impact they have on the strength of society.
 

This World Teachers’ Day, join us in empowering teachers to teach in freedom so that, in turn, every child and every adult is free to learn – to the benefit of a better world.
 

Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO
Guy Ryder, Director-General of ILO
Anthony Lake, Executive-Director of UNICEF
Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP
Fred van Leeuwen, General-Secretary of Education International

The Sun: Irrelevant courses? Think again

....... scientific and technological knowledge had done a great service to humanity but the same knowledge had also brought about a great deal of misery and destruction to mankind. Here one of Mahatma Gandhi's seven deadly sins, science without humanity is more relevant than ever. Not only that science without humanity will quickly degenerate into a mechanistic conception of life but the knowledge that is too constricted will also prevent the fruition of a wholesome life.

Life is only complete when one is exposed to knowledge in the broadest sense of the word. Poetry, literature, and music are often regarded as "useless knowledge" but the truth of the matter is that knowledge in these fields is what makes life worth living.

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/2017/09/26/irrelevant-courses-think-again

World Teachers' Day

Press Statement on Citation Stacking by GERAK

10 September 2017

The Malaysian Academics Movement (GERAK) is appalled to read of the reported enforced practice of citation stacking in Malaysia’s premier university, the University of Malaya (UM). According to news reports, academics in UM are being forced to cite their colleagues in their research papers in order to gain points for university ranking. This is being done by making such citations a requirement for their annual KPI.

This is a serious infringement of their academic freedom to do research and to publish their work. GERAK stresses that the university cannot and must not dictate who should be cited. Academics should be free to cite anyone whose work is relevant to their research, wherever they may be.

What is more shocking is that the university is now trying to justify the forced citation by saying it is a common practice among academics in other universities. No, it is not. At least not by academics who are ethical professionals. 

The simple rule of thumb is that authors/researchers should cite sources they consider pertinent to their work. It would be nice if the citation is of the work of their colleague. But it must NEVER be a requirement stipulated by their department, faculty or university. Failure to cite a colleague must never be cause for the imposition of penalties by any university.
In the case of UM, the embarrassment caused by this incident has spread beyond Malaysia, with scientific data base, Retraction Watch, reporting and commenting on this incident (http://retractionwatch.com/2017/08/22/one-way-boost-unis-ranking-ask-faculty-cite/).

Whatever the UM authorities imagined they could profit from citation stacking evidently has been lost. Instead, this latest flub by the UM authorities will most likely lead to further embarrassment for UM internationally. And a further blow to its reputation. 

GERAK urges UM (and all other Malaysian universities) to immediately remove forced citation requirements in the annual KPI of academics. There are many other, more honourable, ways to assess academic performance. 

UM must also provide logical explanations to the wider academic community – and Malaysians in general - for this fiasco and not simply make up pathetic excuses. Or else heads must roll.

GERAK maintains that to ensure the highest standards of integrity are upheld, other Malaysian universities must also not issue such directives.

On behalf of GERAK,

Rosli Mahat

General Secretary

Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)

Tel: +60166205242

FMT: Look beyond yourselves, university prof tells academics

“The problem is that these people are thinking of it as a job instead of thinking of it as their calling,” he said. 

“You’re an academic. You hold the country in your hands and you can change the direction of the country, but you don’t realise that. 

“All you care about is your own financial state, but everyone is concerned about that including the ‘pisang goreng’ seller. 

“What makes you different from the ‘pisang goreng’ seller? You’re in a position to change the country, he’s not.”

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/08/23/look-beyond-yourselves-university-prof-tells-off-academics/

Why academics are losing relevance in society – and how to stop it

"Unfortunately, many excellent scientists are poor communicators who lack the skills or inclination to play the role of educator to the public. Further, we are not trained nor are we given proper incentives to do it. And for that reason, surveys find that many academics do not see it as their role to be “an enabler of direct public participation in decision-making through formats such as deliberative meetings, and do not believe there are personal benefits for investing in these activities.” As a result, we focus inward to our own research communities and remain disconnected from important public and political debate going on around us." ........... The Conversation

http://theconversation.com/why-academics-are-losing-relevance-in-society-and-how-to-stop-it-64579