Commentary
The Kent Ridge Common, 28 Jul 2009, Kelvin Teo
SINGAPORE – So, Thio Li Ann will be at Bukit Timah instead of Greenwich Village this fall. What an anti-climax ending to the vociferous beginning when her appointment as a Visiting Professor at New York University was announced. Salvos were fired between herself and her detractors initially, and just when things were about to get more interesting, Thio pulled out.
It was a regrettable move on Thio’s part. Any academic worth his salt must be able to to defend his academic opinion. The arduous route to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree involves this exercise known as thesis defense. Defending an academic position or opinion doesn’t stop after Ph.D. It will become part and parcel of an academic’s life. Encountering individuals who are hostile towards one’s academic views is common place.
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