Knowledge is very important in academic life and academic life has its own conditions. However, experience is an accumulation gained over many years and should be shared with young people. In the light of your years of experience, what do you recommend to young academics and to those who want to be an academician?
Dear Dr Unluoglu,
Thanks for your post.
However, at the very onset, I must confess that I am not an academician in the sense of belonging into the "Teaching Profession" I am a Librarian by profession and your post propelled my consensus to share the reason why I did not join university as a Teaching Professional !! I believe the reason behind my decision taken some 35 years ago is still valid as it will explain what I feel about what it takes to be a teacher as an academic.
My decision was for two reasons, one major and one minor. The major reason was 'fear of reading' !! Actually our revered teachers were so scholarly individuals, they were huge readers. I often observed that in between classes most of them used to go on reading subject books preparing lecture notes and so on. Never-the-less, whenever I used to visit them off and on at their homes, they often talked about subjects, their critical analysis and academic discourses. I must beg pardon to my teachers as most of the time I found them too theoretical and at times, somewhat distasteful!! but they dwelt at their own world mostly oblivious of their surroundings.
My interest was on practical, result oriented issues, solving problems without such tons of reading'
However, after a couple of decades mostly with the advent of Computers & IT applications in our field I observed that today's teachers in our profession, by and large, 'reads' much less than what I do myself.
So in my opinion, to be an academician, one must be a voracious reader which however, differs according to profession as I often heard from many of my colleagues in a Medical Research institution that they prefer to do a few successful surgical operations than to write articles in high impact journals!! Of course they used to read , take notes mark pages in books to teach their UG & PG students. As a Medical Librarian heading the Library of a premier National Research Laboratory, our wave length used to match well
As I shifted to a Social Science Institution as an U turn to my career I again came across the intellectuals most of whom were stalwarts in their subject and again I observed them so engrossed in reading and coming closure I slowly understood the un-fathomed depth and versatility of their knowledge and wisdom. "Discourse" "Narratives" were some of the common used words and as they worked for writing a single book for two three years, writing and re-writing the scripts and when they are published, they were path finders in their subjects. Their ways of analysis and critical thinking made them stand apart among their peers.
So for young academics, I must suggest first ask your mind what you want to do and do what you love most. Once opted, be prepared to devote yourself in activities your profession demands.
Prof Ilhami Unluoglu
I don't know much about the subject relating to this question; I had to look academician up. But I feel that young people at school need encouragement and advice in order to find what subjects they can do well in and some of those who have the willingness and aptitude to progress and put in the time and effort will - in time - turn to academia and may become academicians.
Others will find other routes that allow them to progress and do well in what they are best suited to.
It looks not easy to combine academic work with other things in society which you must be active on it as well. But you need to be determined, decipline, and focus on the academy work, see it as if your life depends on it, think right and don't be biased in your thoughts,ready to face lots of challenges before you, prepare for those obstacles on your way and believe in yourself that you can do it. Finally,have a good mentor in the area of your specialisation and beyond. Thank you.
Dear Siddhartha Shankar Ray, Mary C R Wilson and Adedayo Samuel Sunday thanks for your answers and sharing your opinions.
I can make deal with young staffs and create an environment to learn from the senior scientist. I can inform them to all the young staffs to participate in the training,conferences, forums and fellowships.
Do not get limited by academic intellect (as important it is), try to combine cognition and practice by attaining wisdom.
Learn > experience > teach > discover/innovate > expertise > wisdom > learn .... A virtuouse circle
https://quotesdaily.net/life/quotes-about-life-success-requires-key-elements-that-arent-always-apparent-3/
In the light of your years of experience, what do you recommend to young academics and to those who want to be an academician?
Ensure you have / do the following:
A competent academician requires on going learning. To gain mastery in a certain field of academics, it imperative for an academician to acquire both formal and informal training. At the same time, practical experience is required to gain a comprehensive understanding about a subject. In other words, an academician should be engaged in life long learning and continously improve their skills and expertise in a particular area of study.
To be more focused and be determined. Knowledge does not come for free
Dear Gebre Yitayih Abyu, Stephen I. Ternyik, Ali Akhaddar, Haji Saediman, Han Ping Fung, Ndalahwa MUSA Masanja and Ajibola Ibrahim Quadri thanks for your answers and valuable contributions.
The path of academic training is similar to the path of our lives, with innumerable hurdles and obstacles to be overcome at various stages
disappointments , depression, failures and shortcomings will be more frequent than real successes, at times you may feel whether all these suffering are indeed worthwhile or there was an alternate easier, smoother way that could have been taken, i would advise the academician in this regard that past cannot be undone and there are no other way in life than moving forward, being an academician is an a honour, and even more a responsibility , the pain and hardships you go through is indeed worth it , because it makes you more capable and more equipped to solve the challenging problems in human life and its envoirnment by the knowledge and insights you have accumulated over the years of your training, and passing on this wisdom and knowledge sincerely to the next generation of dedicated students who in near and distant future will take up the mantle.
Dear Amina Sultan and Vadim S. Gorshkov thanks for your valuable answers.
For young academics, I suggest first to ask your mind what you want to do and do what you love most, once you choose, and be prepared to devote yourself to the activities that your profession requires, especially reading and then reading in the field of specialization, and finally reading for the sake of general culture. And work hard for success.
The young academicians want to gain new knowledge,training in daily life.
Scientific and practical experience is the best weapon for an academic
The academic must employ the major he has studied in the field of life and in the field of work
The most important thing for an academic is to adhere to the ethics of the profession in which he works, which is represented by honesty, honesty and other qualities that any researcher should possess.
My greetings
Dear Majeed Rashid Zaidan, Gebre Yitayih Abyu and أ.م.د. نبراس طه خماس thanks for valuable answers.
Dear Ilhami Unluoglu , this is a good discussion. Considering the pressure of publications, impact factor, index H, and others. The academic environment has also become increasingly competitive and stressful. In that sense, if I could recommend or suggest something to people who intend to pursue an academic career, I would suggest that they expand their academic networks, so that they can develop projects, publications and work collaboratively. For collaborative work in the production of knowledge can be much more pleasurable, less stressful and more humanized. I agree with colleagues who previously mentioned the choice of what is of interest, keeping up to date, working seriously, as there are no shortcuts as well said Amina Sultan , Neil Dagnall , أ.م.د. نبراس طه خماس , Gebre Yitayih Abyu , Majeed Rashid Zaidan , Vadim S. Gorshkov
, Debopam Ghosh , Ajibola Ibrahim Quadri , Ndalahwa MUSA Masanja , Han Ping Fung , Haji Saediman , Ali Akhaddar , Stephen I. Ternyik , Adedayo Samuel Sunday , Mary C R Wilson , Siddhartha Shankar Ray
I wish that young scholars stay strictly ethical and humble. I recommend them to work in groups, cooperate with knowledge seekers, and help their students to work objectively and analytically.
الحقيقة وبعيداً عن التفلسف فأن أهم ما يجب أن يعمله الباحث الشاب هو الإنفتاح الذهني على كافة حقول المعرفة وبخاصة الإنسانية ؛ مثل التأريخ والفلسفة وعلم النفس، حتى وإن كان تخصصه في مجالات العلمية وليس الإنسانية، فهذه العملية توسع أفاقه وتنمي مداركه وتجعل منه باحثاً موضوعيا قادراً على الإبداع في مجال تخصصه!
تمنياتي للجميع بالنجاح والموفقية
Ilhami - For young scientists it is especially to be passionate about their research. You can only become a successful researcher when you love what you are doing. You also need to stay curious all the time. Everyone who want to become an academician (professor) should accept that this is a full-time job which requires hard work. A special advice which I give every young researcher is to follow the current literature in their field of research. Only when you have good overview of what's going on in your discipline you can develop your own ideas.
Dear Agnaldo Arroio, you summarized the academic life environment and especially the problems experienced very well, thank you. Your suggestions are also very realistic.
Dear Jumaah Hariz , I read your answer via google translate, thank you for your real suggestions for young academicians.
“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called STRESS; working hard for something we love is called PASSION.” – Simon Sinek
Dear Frank T. Edelmann, thank you for sharing your nice and useful suggestions.
Dear Remi Chukwudi Okeke, thanks for your realistic suggestions for academical success.
Have a moral compass! Respect for core human values! Sometimes you will see the system honors unethical behavior, but choose the right thing!
Be honest. Believe in yourself. Do not repeat previous studies as the same but just improve it by your new ideas.
Dear Ali Akhaddar, it is a good reference about the discussion. Thank you.
Dear Ferhan Kuyucak Sengur, your suggestions are very valuable, thank you.
Dear Hakan Demirci, thank you for your suggestions that increase self-confidence and improve creativity.
My thinking is similar as Hakan Demirci , there is need to improve confident following efficient study standing on honesty.