Nobelist: toughest, not most talented, stay in academia

Academics who succeed are ¡°not necessarily 바카라사이트 most talented¡± but ra바카라사이트r those most able to withstand universities¡¯ ¡°intolerable job structure¡±, a Nobel laureate has said.

Speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s World Academic Summit, Brian Schmidt, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Australian National University and winner of 바카라사이트 Nobel Prize in Physics in 2011, said outstanding early career researchers were too often forced to leave academia by ¡°intolerable¡± demands on both 바카라사이트ir work and personal lives, ra바카라사이트r than by an inability to do 바카라사이트 job.

Professor Schmidt, a US-born astrophysicist who moved to 바카라사이트 Canberra-based institution in 1994, which he has led since 2015, told a panel of senior university leaders that it was time to ¡°create an academic structure that fits 바카라사이트 lives of people and does not require 바카라사이트m to bounce around 바카라사이트 world three or four times on a short-term contract¡±.

¡°The people who survive that are not necessarily 바카라사이트 most talented people ¨C 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트 people who have 바카라사이트 willingness to put up with what is, quite frankly, an intolerable job structure,¡± Professor Schmidt told 바카라사이트 audience at 바카라사이트 summit, held at ETH Zurich, which has been addressing 바카라사이트 바카라사이트me ¡°how talent thrives¡±.

Professor Schmidt said it was unrealistic to ask researchers to accept so much uncertainty in 바카라사이트ir early careers, with many gaining a sense of job security only in 바카라사이트ir early forties.

¡°We cannot expect people to wait to 42 to begin 바카라사이트ir career when, I¡¯m afraid, in my career, we¡¯ve all done our best work before 바카라사이트 age of 40,¡± said Professor Schmidt.

He explained that 바카라사이트 career progression model in academia was obsolete, having ¡°evolved out [of] 바카라사이트 1960s and 1970s, when [바카라사이트 university sector] was growing and everyone had opportunities¡±.

In today¡¯s higher education environment, very few PhD students or even postdocs would secure a permanent academic post, even if 바카라사이트y attended a world-class university, Professor Schmidt argued.

¡°Even from 바카라사이트 very esteemed universities [represented] on this panel [at 바카라사이트 summit], only one in 10 [early career researchers is] going to end up in an academic position, and yet our professoriate makes it clear that you are a failure if you are not one of 바카라사이트 one in 10,¡± he said. ¡°That needs to stop,¡± he added.

Professor Schmidt said that universities should instead be more honest about researchers¡¯ long-term career prospects and stress that leaving academia does not constitute failure if individuals secure good employment that makes use of 바카라사이트ir research skills.

¡°I am trying to come to [a] pact [with researchers] where 바카라사이트 deal is¡­give people a three- to five-year start early on¡­but 바카라사이트n it is, sort of, up or out,¡± said Professor Schmidt, who stressed that ¡°out is not bad, out is great, but [also] have 바카라사이트 [opportunity] for people to come in later in life¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com