I am preparing a discussion on academic job in different types of universities for a group composed of PhD students and post-docs in life sciences.
We are currently discussing the variety of academic jobs available around the world. Some universities are more oriented toward research, while others put more emphasis on teaching. The research and teaching philosophy also seems to vary widely: for example is the teaching done through conventional lectures or through a different structure? Is the research more connected to the need and questions of the industry or is it primarily fundamental?
As a way to broaden our view of this variety, I am asking four questions to researchers in life sciences around the world.
1 – Please describe your university or department. How many faculty are there? Is it more oriented toward research, or teaching? Is there a general defined culture or philosophy behind its research interests or teaching activities?
2 – Describe your typical week. How much time do you invest in teaching, mentoring, doing research, and services? Are you interacting mostly with researchers, graduate students, undergraduate students, staff, policy makers?
3 – Do you think that your job, its nature or its priorities are changing? Could you describe how you envision the job you are doing now in 5 or 10 years? What will have changed?
4 – Looking at yourself and your colleagues, what type of person would be most suited for your job?
1. There are 47 professors in our Biological Sciences department. We put a strong emphasis on high quality research while maintaning a commitment to an innovative undergraduate teaching programme. Research interest vary from molecular biology to forest management. My colleagues pursue both fundamental and applied research; the mix varying from one colleague to another.
2. In a typical week I spend about 3 hours with my own graduate students, 10 hours on undergraduate teaching, 15 hours on research projects and perhaps 10 hours on administrative work. Of course no week is ever typical.
3. I feel that a commitment to learning (by students) is gradually being neglected in favour of porducing more publiations. I hope that quality reasearch (rather than lust high volume) and quality teaching (to allow students deep understanding to biological processes) will be the criteria for academic advancement in the future.
4. I think on has to like asking questions (even unusual questions) and searching for answers. An emphasis on getting best answer to teh most intersting question is important. One must also have good inter personal skills in order to teach and to work within the framework of research teams which will likely become more important in the future.
1. 17 faculty. Teaching
2. As an administrator, I interact with everyone.
3. My job is to help young people build their lives up, help them have a successful launch into a successful career. I consider myself a facilitator for learning, advancement.
4. You have to care. That is 80% of the job.
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