Make News Reporting Scientific
IN response to an article written by Selma Shipanga, ‘Unam deans and departments are dominated by expats’ (The Namibian 7 May 2012), I would like to throw some light on that report.
It has been quite a normal thing for the media to talk about Unam baselessly and without any thorough investigation. I wonder how such an article can be published in a well-established newspaper without this.
Any particular post in the departments of Unam or any academic institution cannot be filled by people who are not qualified. For example, it’s highly unlikely to have a dean of any faculty without a PhD and commanding research output and with sufficient community engagement.
Also a position of dean, HoD and directors require good leadership skills.
Though there may be people with PhD, if they have no vision and lack leadership skills, also primarily lack interest to lead and take the pressure that comes along with it, it may be preferable for them to stay away from applying for the positions.
In such cases, the university is left with no option but to choose the people who have the required qualifications and interest. And so the appointments happen.
The news article is written in a way that paints a picture that the appointments have been made just because they are foreigners and that Namibians are neglected because they are Namibians.
This is highly unscientific and shows the journalist’s lack of understanding of an academic setup.
I would like to request the editor to think through such articles to ensure they do not send wrong ideas to the readers.
I highly regret to read such pathetic news in a reputed newspaper like The Namibian in this country. Kindly investigate and write instead of making noise.
Vijaykumar Kandaswamy
Via the website
NB: It is clear you do not disagree with the figures and facts contained in the article. Your letter would have been helpful if it provided the ‘scientific’ basis on which the appointments are made as you seem to require of our journalists, who, indeed, make the effort to do a thorough job.
Editor