9/13/2014

Anoop Shankar – Would NUS World Rankings be affected




The revelation of a ‘genius’ professor (Singapore has this fetish craving for geniuses) who was an academic staff of NUS but got caught with his pants down, with fake credentials in the US is sending a little tremor around our reputable institutions of higher learnings. We have carefully honed our skills by gaming the ranking systems, oops, I mean by making sure that we followed the norms set by international agencies, not intentionally of course, to raise our rankings to be among the top universities in the world. We are definitely not gaming, otherwise if the criteria demand having a monkey as a professor, they would have appointed a monkey to the staff too. Now doing that would be gaming. We are quite near to the class of Harvard and Cambridge, beating many top Ivy League universities in the US and UK. And we achieved this by sheer quality of the institutions and the staff.

Now we have this dubious honour of sharing in the hiring of a fake as an academic staff and publishing many papers to help in our rankings. How would this affect our university’s rankings? Is this another one of those, ‘it happens once in 50 years’ cases? If it is so, then we should thank God that it would not cause too much damage to our reputation. If it is not the case, and many more are fakes, then we will have a very embarrassing problem at hand.

How would we know that there are other fakes in the academia? The only way to find out is to comb through with a fine brush, the academic qualifications of the staff, especially the foreigners. The question is, do we want to do this and risk our rankings and reputations tumbling to the abyss? My suggestion is not to do anything. Let it be. Then we can keep our rankings and the integrity of the institutions? Did I say integrity? Oops, wrong choice of word definitely. Change that to reputation.

How many people really think that there is a need for a thorough investigation in the academia for fraudsters? This disease of having fakes and fraudsters in the whole island has been spreading and the writing has been on the wall for too long. And it is not only in the academia! It is something that must be done and in a hurry. But no one bothers. Or is this problem already known in the closed circles and the solution is to announce that no degrees also can if one can perform, and can be promoted to high positions too. Definitely not! These are two separate issues.

Do we have a problem? Yes, no? Do we want to acknowledge that we have a problem? Do we then want to address this problem? If all the answers are no, then we have no problems and Rip Van Winkle can go back to sleep for another 50 years. We can continue to plan for the big 50 year celebrations and party.

Some say the best solution to a nasty problem is to look the other way. Don’t talk about it, don’t do anything is the best.

Kopi Level - Green

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi RB, speed, I have always been under the impression that the Singapore government is very careful when they vet who they let in to take up important positions in the country. They are so strict that even an unwanted cockroach cannot get in. Well, obviously there has been a lapse in the vetting process in this instance. Never mind, just one case in many thousands of successes is OK, right?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Alamak. NUS kena hantam. Which means Singapore govt kena hantam.

Fuck, it feels soooo good... ;-)

Got schadenfreude?

Anonymous said...

Hi MS, why you feel soooo good when Singapore govt kena hantam? Schadenfreude is not to be practised in Singapore, says the Singaporean govt.

Anonymous said...

Really only one case?

Anonymous said...

MS is so very happy in Sin that he offers condolences as praises for it.
He is is great fan of Lee Kuan Yew, however as an anti theist, he wont deify him or make offerings.

Anonymous said...

At one time, anything Singapore is solid, integrity, trustworthy. Our passports mean you can literally walked thru any custom unchecked.

Today it is going to be different. And if we keep giving out passports to the crooks of the world, soon the passport that must be checked at all customs will be the Singapore passport. And our academic qualifications will also be suspect.

Don't be stupid to tell the govts of the world that no degree also good when your degrees become NG.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ definitional arseholes:

There one type of post which I find very flattering because it is obvious people have spent time and effort. It goes like this:

»» Matilah is.... «« ...and then there is a narrative/ ANALysis of what I am, the nature of my being, my character and intentions...not to mention my psychology, mental state and lord knows whatever else.

You fuckers got way too much time on your hands ;-)

Anonymous said...

"Do we have a problem? Yes, no? Do we want to acknowledge that we have a problem?"
RB

Whether we have a problem or not, that is beside the point.

For PAP, the point is whether despite the problems, is the strongest opposition party, the What's the point Party (WP)is ready to be govt?

If not, then as RB had mentioned above, the best solution to a nasty problem is to look the other way. Don’t talk about it, don’t do anything is the best. For PAP lah of course, although this RB did not mention.

Tio bo,


Anonymous said...

What is the cause of the Anoop Shankar problem?
Is it because NUS has very loose standards?
Or is it because PAP government under PM Lee is no longer able to govern Singapore?

Anonymous said...

Or is it because PAP government under PM Lee is no longer able to govern Singapore?
Anon 1:19 pm

But is the opposition even ready, let alone able to govern Singapore?

Anonymous said...

Because the opposition is not ready, so by default 60% choose PAP to govern Singapore.

It happened in 2011, so why not again in 2015 or 2016, u tell me lah?

Anonymous said...

The situation for daft and unhappy Sinkies were much worse in 2011 than now.

Unless Teochew Ah Hia or Hainan Ah Ko announce their party is ready to form a better govt than PAP lah. But did they announce? No, tio bo?

So there is every reason PAP will win 60% or even better again next election.



Virgo 49 said...

Under LKY any mistakes by public or private sectors chiefs or subordinates will be bashed by the sledge hammers or knuckle dusters.

Now by his wan siong usless son, mistakes just a little slap on the wrists and do it better next time hoh!!!

WHO is scared of making mistakes?? KIE CHIU!!!

b said...

What about NUH? Many fake degree doctors?

Anonymous said...

Instant talent: just add money and stir. (No prize for guessing where the money come from).

Anonymous said...

RB, I think better bury the head in the sand and pretend no problems cause once out of the pandora box can't put it back again. The investors will get a shock and all premium placed in sinkie land for being more expensive and justified the premium will be gone and we would be compared with the less developed countries.

As for matilar the asshole, normally I do not pay too much attention for all the nonsense he wrote. I much prefer he writes the books suggested by the books poster sometime back but that knn asshole wanted to be paid first.

Anonymous said...

"But is the opposition even ready, let alone able to govern Singapore?"
September 13, 2014 1:54 pm

Why not ready?
What's so difficult to govern Singapore?
Size = 720 sq km
Population = 5.3 million

New York:
Size = 1,200 sq km
population: 8.4 million
Govt = 1 mayor

PAP Fairy Tale:
"It is very difficult to govern Singapore"

Anonymous said...

Singapore really very difficult to govern. Got so much money don't know what to do. And cannot return money to the people or they spend every cent then national reserves will go empty how?

Then got Roy Ngerng and his friends at Hong Lim Park asking so many embarrassing questions and now cannot investigate got so many fake degrees appear how?

Anonymous said...

Not just fakes but mostly second-grade academics who find it difficult to secure tenure in their own country or who are there because the money is good. Make no mistake academics in Singapore are relatively well paid. The very best, on the other hand, are more interested in pursuing their research with other like-minded ones and a re paid pretty well by their own institutions so monetary incentives are not enough to cause them to relocate.