The Federation of University Teachers' Association (FUTA) welcomes the recent circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) restricting the use of the title of ‘Professor' after retirement.

Recently, the UGC issued a circular stating that the title of professor can only be used when a person is still employed at an academic institution. It further reads that when he or she retires or resigns, that title cannot be used with his or her name unless the Academic Institution’s Council (Senate) grants him or her the title of Emeritus Professor.

Against this backdrop, FUTA Chairperson Prof. Barana Jayawardana told The Daily Morning yesterday (31) that the particular circular can be considered a good move taken by the UGC in protecting and restoring the prestige of the title. Therefore, the FUTA said that it welcomes the circular and that the decision must be appreciated. “We have been raising issues related to the use of these academic titles for many years. At present, the use of fake titles and forged education qualifications has been a plague in the higher education system. In such a context, this decision can be considered a good move taken by the UGC,” he added.

Moreover, Prof. Jayawardana stated that these academic titles are frequently misused by people in the political arena; therefore, academics who have held the title for more than 10 years and those who have been awarded the ‘Professor Emeritus' by the Senate of the respective university they worked for, only be allowed to use the title even after their retirement.

According to the UGC guideline, future letters of promotion to professorship will include a phrase to this effect. The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), formerly led by Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna Government Parliamentarian Prof. Ranjith Bandara, addressed this problem a few months ago, and serious concerns have been raised concerning this as well as fraudulent doctoral degrees issued for money.