Dancing with Sycophancy

The joining ceremony of noted eye specialist professor Deen Mohammad Noorul Haq as the Vice Chancellor of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) turned into an eyesore as staff members indulged in a spirited dance with band parties to welcome their newly appointed academic administrator. Those engaging in these jubilant dances may have either breathed a collective sigh of relief, bidding farewell to the era of misrule under the former administrator, or strategically positioned themselves for future favour, seeking the attention of their new superior. We have seen such instances in fiction. In the land of Lilliput in Jonathan Swift's satire Gulliver's Travels, for instance, the emperor demands his high officials dance on a rope to prove their worth. Swift's vitriol seems valid if we consider the acrobatic dance as a means of career advancement.

The spectacle therefore raises some serious questions about the state of academic integrity and leadership. We cannot treat this as an isolated incident, as it is symptomatic of a larger malaise within the academic community. When routine changeovers in leadership turn into a circus of flattery, it speaks volumes about the prevailing mindset within the institution. The theatrics of showing a public display of loyalty undermine the credibility of the institution, which is supposed to be the hub of our postgraduate medical research. The incident has eroded public confidence in the integrity of academia as a whole. Last week, we saw a photo of another newly appointed vice chancellor of another public university going viral in which he posed with a heap of bouquets that made him look like a florist.

Thankfully, the new vice chancellor has taken exception. Dr Haq, at his joining ceremony, reminded his colleagues that the only way he could be made happy was by doing their duties. He said that he would not assert his authority, he would rather work alongside them as a friend or a brother. He added that he would not want anyone to waste time in his room, leaving behind their duties, or try to confine him to one group or the other. He pledged his neutrality while trying to make visible improvements to the university in the next four years. He assured me that he was very close to the health minister, whom he treats as an elder brother.

While one hopes that these words are not just rhetoric, by reading between the lines, it is possible to diagnose the ills plaguing the academic system and, by extension, other ones. A culture of flattery permeates our institutions, rewarding sycophancy and discouraging dissent. The newly appointed vice chancellor sent a strong message against this culture where academics and professionals are encouraged to curry favour with those in positions of power, regardless of merit or competence. It hints at a culture of nepotism and cronyism. The new administrator will do well to avoid factionalism, which often undermines meritocracy and perpetuates a cycle of mediocrity.

But our wishful thinking comes to a rude awakening when we find many of these administrative heads hitting the press for all the wrong reasons. The immediate past Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University, professor Shireen Akhter, has been accused of recruiting 172 employees without any job circulars or recruitment examinations. On her last working day, she appointed 37 third-class and fourth-class employees on a daily wage basis. Probe bodies have already formed to determine the necessity and legitimacy of these posts. It does not take a genius to understand from where the flute music is coming to make the rope dance.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) and other high officials, including education ministers, have mentioned in the past that it is often difficult to find the right people for the 150-plus universities that have been established in the last few decades. The academic leaders from the old public universities are often chosen as the vice chancellors of the new universities. In many cases, these imported faculty leaders are not well received by the locals, as they have their own dynamics.

I recently visited a technical university for an academic purpose and came to learn that its vice chancellor has been reduced to a token figure as he has no control over the teachers' association or the regency board. His failure to lobby for development funds from the central bursary or his ability to bring about any concrete change has stifled the growth of this university with huge potential. This seems to be true for almost all peripheral universities.

Local factors are so dominant in the recruitment process that regionalism becomes the main driving force. Outsiders, irrespective of their academic acumen or research interest, have to cut corners to hang on to their posts. Many such figures prefer to stay in divisional towns with their families, away from their campuses, making their job a window dressing for their CVs. Many of these retired figures have passed their prime and have nothing new to give to their respective institutions. They remain at the mercy of their colleagues and their political pressures.

The dance of the staff welcoming a new VC could have been an innocent, spontaneous gesture. But we cannot deem it as such due to the track record of other vice chancellors. Some of them are guilty of being academically, morally, and financially corrupt. Some of them are guilty of being incompetent and inept. Some of them are in exile as their home institutions do not want them to disturb the power equilibrium. The onus lies on the government to choose the right people for the right places.

The dance drama at BSMMU has underscored the urgent need for professionalism in our academic arena. There is a need for deft academic leadership that remains impervious to flattery and prioritises the national interest. A vice chancellor is not only a managerial CEO but also a custodian of knowledge and steward of academic progress. We expect our academic vice chancellors to rise above the allure of sycophancy and embody integrity and professionalism to not only ensure the upright functioning of their institutions, but also set an example as iconic role models. With such steadfast leadership, there have been many proposals to create a pool of academic administrators who are capable of advancing knowledge and contributing meaningfully to the advancement of the nation and beyond.

Dr Shamsad Mortuza is professor of English at Dhaka University.

Views expressed in this article are the author's own. 

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