In the most gentlemanly of fashions, former NTU journalism professor Dr Cherian George said he has moved on.

This was after controversy surrounding his denial of tenure erupted again following comments made by Nanyang Technological University president Bertil Andersson.

Prof Andersson had told Times Higher Education in an interview published in December 2014 that the denial of tenure to Dr George was made as an “academic decision”.

But Dr George disagreed as he said only political reasons were publicly offered so far.

The former lecturer at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) then wrote a blog entry on Dec. 24, 2014, to request for Prof Andersson to retract his comments and to state categorically that his exit was "force" and was assessed to have met NTU’s academic criteria for promotion and tenure in 2009.

Prof Andersson subsequently issued a clarification that “there was no intention to lower the reputation or standing of Dr George in his field of work”.

And it looks like the issue will end with the NTU president having the last say.

Student paper Nanyang Chronicle quoted Dr George via an email interview:

“I merely wanted to set the record straight and I’ve done so. As things stand, I don’t see any need to say or do anything more. I’ve moved on.”

Dr George, who is associate professor at the Hong Kong Baptist University following his departure from NTU also said he is staying put in Hong Kong as an academic in the near future:

“Singapore is my home, but academia is a highly globalised industry, so my future plans will probably involve a tradeoff between the emotional pull of my birthplace and professional opportunities that may lie elsewhere. For the next several years at least, I have no reason to leave Hong Kong.”

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