Personally, I recognize that a big portion of my research has been to solve scientific community problems, which is not directly beneficial for people in my country. I like research, but to keep pace with international progress (in my field), I found my self in this situation. Talking about national plans of research is good, but most of research in developing countries is not dedicated to improve the life of local people. In addition, such research is poorly funded. Therefore, many researchers go to international top subjects, to get hired or make business for their own.

I am sure we all have complex motives but I definitely see my research as one (small) way of changing the world!

I am, for example, trying to ensure that all schools teach for creativity (as well as for all the other important things schools need to do). 6 years ago we published this - Article Progression in Creativity: Developing new forms of assessmen...

which is contributing to policy and practice changes across the world (I was appointed co-chair of the new PISA Test of Creative Thinking, for example) and a practical handbook - Book Teaching Creative Thinking: Developing learners who generate...

and a major enquiry in England

Technical Report Durham Commission on Creativity in Education

all this takes time and patince and luck of course!

Bill

Prof. Dr. Bill Lucas,

Thank you for participating in this discussion. I realize that conducting research in some fields, such as medicine and education development directly touches people in the researcher country and allover the world.

Generally speaking, Science and Technology can take care of more people in a better way on earth. Therefore, any research in S&T (theoretical and/or experimental) done anywhere in the world is directly or indirectly affecting the lives of everybody, including people in the native country also.

Dear Dr. Ravi,

Thank you for your participation. I agree with your general conclusion. This is applicable to many fields such as medicine, pharmacology and education. However, I wonder if a researcher is working on solving a specific problem or developing a new device (in electronics for instance), which will lead to improving some civil or military product in specific developed countries, would be serving his native country people??. Actually, the mother country of many researchers would import this product, if it was necessary, making developed countries richer and more powerful, while his own country remains retarded in more poverty. I'm not biased against any country. I've been studying in Europe, USA and so many rich countries for several years and I noticed that most of researcher are coming from less developed or developing countries.

This can be a hot topic to discuss. I have a slightly humble attitude now looking towards the developed countries because they have really done enormously well in S&T or more generally in Arts and Sciences (A & S) since the year of the Lord, based on the concept that an artist gets the name of a country attached to him/her. But, S&T is really more about S&T rather than a specific country. If one narrows down his/her focus to a country and indigenous development by a scientist/engineer/professor etc., then yes, the native people desire that a good artist should help in the development of the native country, and the artist also can derive satisfaction in doing so. If one studies the life story of many past Nobel Laureates, one finds that they study and move, study and move, from one place to another and then a 'miracle' occurs in one particular place. It is really not the country that made them do the miracle. I have also been around, mostly in USA, and now, I really want to stay put in my country, now that most of the 'work' is done. I don't have an AC in summer, but I am quite satisfied and pleased with my achievements. As far as poverty is concerned----China is now a socialist country in 30 years! with smiling faces all over. How could it happen without the help and support of the developed nations?. This can happen to any country provided they are willing to allow intervention by developed countries and loose some self-control and decision making in matters of S&T and indirectly become correlated. South Korea is a more recent example.

Research is always one way to catalyze change in society. I believe that my work is making its own little contribution to bring about that expected change many people are hoping for in society.

Yes Dr. Aziz,

Research is always one way to catalyze change in one's society, given that it focus on this society problems. I just enquire if all researchers are working to solve their own society problems or rather the hot subjects in other societies where they just work (or hope to work in).

Very very Good question and very importance idea.

According to my opinion, many of researches can't be benifical to the people and countries.

I have a dream in 2020, concerning this discussion: I hope that everyone dedicates part of his time for the benefit of people of his country or at least plan to transfer the technology he is working on (in another country) to his country..

Agreed.

Started with reason 1 from college days and then by mid thirties, switched to reason no. 2. I stayed with reason 2 and the reason 3 got coupled to it. Now, reason 4 or 5 has happened after excellent study and work. I stayed with 90% with academics only and retired from a private college as a Professor . Retired from a 9 to 5 job but I am still working from home as a self-employed independent researcher. The journey was mostly 24 x 7 research (teaching and learning), otherwise the excellent work that I have produced would never have happened. Money never entered my mind when I was in school. It's only in the college days that I learnt that people actually study to earn money. And naturally in a foreign land the importance of money gets heightened as you do not know anybody there, at least initially.

Our Prof. Ravi

Your researcher journey is great and I think it merits to be published, although we don't know its details, I suggest a new project on ResearchGate, which encompass the profiles of distinct and meritorious professors

There are many people (Professors and other artists) like me around the world. The project you are proposing is not worth it.

The idea of dignifying pioneering scientists and artists is world-wide recognized, and supported by many organizations (e.g., Nobel Prize). I appreciate that Scientists on ResearchGate - themselves - identify and dignify the scientists who dedicated all (or part of) their lives for the people of their home countries. The nomination will be raised with the technology-transfer plan they utilized and to-what-extent this plan was successful?

Thank you Hossein Roshan for your honest answer.

An important question indeed. I think this defines the quality of research the person produces.

My reason is the 3rd one.

Dear Vikas Pandey

Thank you for your positive participation. If you consider the dedication of research to the people of the researcher home country as a criterion of quality, I agree. However, I know so many researchers who made high quality research (from the scientific point of view) and even got Nobel Prize but they have never been kind with or useful for people of their home countries.

Vikas: The benefits of research is not always obvious and instant.

Yes Dr Ravi,

The impact of research in arts and sciences, is SOMETIMES very slow.. However, great changes in the history were based upon revolutionary thinking and initiatives of great scientists. However, in technological sciences we have some criterion called: TIME-TO-MARKET. Therefore, researchers in many sciences are accelerating or searching for fast applicable solutions, for the benefit of people and their affiliates.

I think that all of us researchers have the 2 option, although many are making more than others (if money is an issue for you, find a complementary job or switch careers).

The 4 and 5 are something that only a bunch can achieve, at a cost of their intelligence and luck in their projects and perhaps some influencing along then way.

In my opinion (23 YO, finished my masters last year) I like research work and production of novel materials, that fascinates me but I'm not in it for the money. If I wanted to get rich I would get into politics