Public universities to have more PhD holders (NST)

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will increase the number of academic staff with Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) qualifications in public institutions of higher learning to enable easier recognition abroad.

Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung said the initiative would be a key agenda of the government in view of the education sector's contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.

"Our target is to increase qualified academic staff with doctorates to 75 per cent in research universities, and up to 60 per cent in public institutions by 2015."

Currently, PhD holders make up about 73 per cent of academic staff in research universities, he added.

Hou said implementation would take place gradually in the form of prerequisites requir-ing those applying for lecturers positions to be PhD holders.

He said lecturers would also be provided scholarships and training grants to pursue post-graduate studies.

"We need more PhD holders as lecturers as currently, we have noticed that some fields of study in certain institutions do not have a high teaching capacity," he said after presenting the Tanjong Scholarship Awards to 24 students here.

Hou, who is also MCA deputy secretary-general, said the ministry would also be increasing promotion opportunities for lecturers in public institutions of higher learning.

"This would also include the conferment of 'premier professor' titles to deserving lecturers based on their research studies."

Hou said the distinguished title was currently only conferred on credited lecturers in administrative positions