Last year, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik reiterated that it is imperative to achieve the targeted 60,000 PhDs with an adjusted timeline, by 2030.

THERE were an estimated 23,000 PhD holders in 2016, and the Higher Education Ministry aimed to increase the numbers to 60,000 by 2023, according to an NST report in 2016.

According to the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2015-2025 (Higher Education), the number of PhD holders in public and private higher learning institutions in 2015 accounted for 14,725 and 5,670, respectively, an estimated 26 per cent of academicians. The plan was to increase the number of PhD holders by at least 75 per cent, particularly in Accelerated Programme for Excellence (Apex) universities and research universities (RU).

The government has since initiated support strategies, such as MyBrain15, Academic Training Schemes and PhD sponsorship programmes and research grants.

Last year, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik reiterated that it is imperative to achieve the targeted 60,000 PhDs with an adjusted timeline, by 2030. The purpose is to increase the number of knowledgeable, innovative and skilful professionals aligned with our aspiration of becoming a high income-status nation.

However, there has been little comparison made on the number of PhD holders in high-income nations to prove the validity of the idea.

With the present figure of PhD holders in Malaysia, the ratio of PhD holders to the working age population, 25 to 64 years, (15.25 million, United Nations Demographic Yearbook), is estimated at 0.15 per cent. The number is even lower in comparison with medical doctors, who make up 0.33 per cent in the same year (Department of Statistics, Malaysia). Comparisons with developed and high-income countries showed that the distribution of PhD holders depended on a vital factor — the total research and development (R&D) expenditure per capita.

Even if we achieve our targeted 60,000 PhD holders by 2030, accompanied by a projected working age population of 18.27 million (World Population Prospects, 2017, and United Nations Demographic Yearbook), the new figure of 0.33 per cent will make an inconsequential difference if the R&D expenditure remains unchanged.

A study by the Malaysian Industrial Development Finance in 2017 on the job market revealed that a trifling 4.1 per cent of an estimated 204,000 job vacancies were found suitable for high-skill jobs such as professionals and associate professionals (the number included masters and PhD degrees). This further testifies the need to boost the R&D expenditure.

Failure to do so will result in the exodus of PhD holders due to lack of employment opportunities to suit their specialities. It will be a waste of national resources and taxpayer funds as it takes an average of four to seven years to train a proficient PhD with eminent research and intellectual capabilities.

The projected number of PhD holders has to be logically revised according to the future R&D per capita expenditure. The Education Ministry should join hands with the industries in the quest to train PhD holders, and increase local and foreign R&D investment to create jobs which commensurate with PhD qualifications.

PhD holders are rare knowledge talismans. Ironically, irrational targeted numbers will disparage the exclusiveness of their qualifications by turning them into a “superfluous local commodity”, which may lead to brain drain.

Source: https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/letters/2019/03/473522/set-realistic-phd-targets