Lately, at a conference, a PhD student told us that as a kid she often went for walks with her dad and they sometimes passed a nearby research institute. She then climbed on her dadโs shoulders, trying to peek through the windows ๐ช. There was not much to see. Men and women robed in white gowns appeared and disappeared ๐ฉ๐ฟโ๐ฌ๐งโ๐ฌ, wandering around, following an invisible plan.
โThese are scientistsโ her dad explained to her. Scientists investigate nature ๐ฑ. They find out why the sky is blue ๐ and flowers smell sweet ๐ธ. Something touched that little girl deep inside. From that day on she knew, one day she would become a scientist, too.
Years passed by, and the little girl grew into a young lady who never lost her focus. One day, the time had come, and she enrolled for her PhD programme. Experiments, lectures, protocols, talks and conferences filled her busy days. She learned the scientific mindset, how to ask questions, how to design and execute a study, and how to communicate the results to her peers and friends.
โAre you going to stay in research, after finishing the PhD?โ ๐
โNo way โโ, is her firm answer.
What happened?
Postdocs leave research and academia for industry and other fields. When we ask them, the answers are always the same.
You only get short-term contracts that do not allow any sort of planning. Even worse, there is the pressure to publish more and more, with ever-increasing impact points. This forces you to move away from your scientific curiosity and passion.
The passion to investigate the ultimate mysteries of nature ๐ฑ.
The passion that was once ignited in that little girl sitting on her dadโs shoulders โ peeking through the windows of a laboratory ๐ฌ.
The passion that had accompanied her for so many years.
Is now gone โฆ forever.๐
If we want a #science to be part of our future generations, things need to change.
Letโs start today ๐๐๐!!
Author: asban
#phd #postdoc #futuregeneration
#research #passion #mint #stem #lifescience #scientists #academia #mindset #rolemodel
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