I apologise in advance for the lengthy posting.
Well, I was born in 1974 and, until recently, only had memories of living
under a Conservative government. I am disappointed (and slightly offended)
by the presumption that `the young people of today' are fickle and
materialistic. I am just about to finish my PhD and, given the area, I
could leave academia to earn a phenomenal amount of money. I would prefer,
however, to earn a much more modest salary and do the research that I have
developed a passion for. The following points might convince you that, for
some young researchers at least, the idealism of those with a firm belief
in science and education is precisely what has emphasised the downside of
a career in academic science:
1. To obtain funding to continue my research, I write grant proposals that
only contain my name in the bibliography! Why? The rules for grant funding
neither anticipate nor encourage young researchers who want to develop
their own programme of research (EPSRC have shifted ground slightly). The
scientific institution seems largely geared up to reinforcing the status
quo; something which very much goes against my ideals as a scientist/
engineer. It is not only disheartening to put a considerable amount of
effort into a bid for which one gets no formal recognition, it sends out
the wrong signals about being responsible for the integrity of one's
published research.
2. Very few of the seminars and conferences that I have attended suggest a
professional approach to science. I don't wish to suggest that science
should become corporate, but many scientists do not seem to believe that
presenting their findings at an international conference warrants any
preparatory effort. I have also sat through three years of undergraduate
study in which a substantial number of lectures told one more about the
lecturer's lack of motivation and commitment than about the subject of
study. I am young and motivated to the point of impatience. The atmosphere
in academia hardly encourages my to channel this energy into my research
(although I am doing at present).
3. I work from around 8am to 10pm seven days a week, stopping occasionally
for something to eat. I often find myself in the company of academic staff
from various departments whom I hear complaining about students becoming
increasingly substandard, how they don't get paid enough, how they spend
too much time doing admin, etc., etc. Many of these staff work less than a
35 hour week (although they often claim to do double). It is particularly
frustrating to find that some of the nation's best problem solvers cannot
organize an efficient paper trail to reduce their workload.
I could go on, but couple this with my student debts (the one point of
realism I would present in an otherwise idealistic case), and I hope that
the established academics on this list are a little less contemptuous of
the scientists who grew up under Tory rule (few of whom I suspect will
subscribe to Tory values). Instead, you may find that young researchers do
not lack ideals; they lack a place in which they can do research that
reflects those ideals. The power to change this is in your hands as much
as, if not more than, it is in ours.
Chris
On Tue, 6 Apr 1999, M.J. Pearson wrote:
> No, Michael I am NOT one of Thatcher's children - I have never voted
> conservative in my life, was born in 1946 and was as much a 60s
> person as you!
>
> Big salaries certainly were unfashionable then and money never
> crossed my mind when I went into science in 1965. My
> decision, like others', was because of interest in the subject and
> idealism. However, talking now to non-scientific friends and my
> children's friends, as well as reading the press, suggest to me
> that people see it differently now. Perhaps people's perception of
> the down side of science is more influential now than idealism about
> its benefits.
>
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Christopher Hemingway, School of Computer Studies, University of Leeds
LEEDS, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom, LS2 9JT.
www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/chrish/ tel: +44-113-233-6789
[log in to unmask] fax: +44-113-233-5468
[log in to unmask] mobile: 07957 145721
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