Summer 2023-2024, Wednesdays, 17:40-19:10 (room WA-29C)
(The entrance from the parking lot in Wing C of the building is open until 5 p.m. After 5 p.m., please enter the building through the main entrance.)
Teacher: Marek J. Druzdzel
Scientific training, usually taking place during the work on a doctorate, is most often carried out according to the master-apprentice model, where the "master" is the PhD student's advisor/mentor. The advisor, along with passing his/her knowledge to the advisee, introduces him/her to the world of science, showing (most often indirectly) how to identify research problems, design experiments, write scientific articles, apply for research funds, prepare presentations, etc. The final effect, i.e. preparing the student for a further scientific career, depends on the knowledge of the advisor, but unfortunately also on cultural factors and the advisor's ability to transfer this knowledge. This is probably the main reason for the huge differences in quality and reputation of research centers around the world.
The seminar aims at providing a systematic review of the skills that every scientists should master. It is based on materials from a similar seminar taught by me at the University of Pittsburgh and, indirectly, on materials of the Survival Skills and Ethics workshops for young scientists at the University of Pittsburgh. My experiences in teaching this seminar over twenty or so years clearly indicate that systematizing these skills is for young scientists invaluable.
The seminar "Fundamental tools of a scientist's workbench" is intended for doctoral students and researchers working on their Ph.D. or their D.Sc. (habilitation) degrees. I also cordially invite older colleagues to participate in order to share their experiences on the topics discussed at the seminar and supplementing the American model, which is the basis of the seminar, with experience developed in Polish conditions.
Why do I recommend this seminar to doctoral students and junior scientists? I spent almost 40 years outside Poland. I am noticing an interesting phenomenon in Poland. Obtaining a doctorate, the first step in a a scientific career often takes young employees very long time, sometimes resulting in a failure. Habilitation takes even longer, as shown by university statistics. When the maximum time set by the university for obtaining a doctorate or habilitation expires, there comes the "oy voy" phase, diligent collection of supporting materials, asking written opinions on the percentage avancement in the work, premature opening of the doctoral process, etc. And a question, not very fair in relation to the faculty and university authorities is asked: Will the university and its rector be understanding? It does not have to be this way. One can write a good quality dissertation in a few years. Habilitation may be a natural step that we take a few years after obtaining a doctorate. This, apart from hard work of course, is a matter of skill.
There is a joke from the times of the flourishing Polish People's Republic. Comrade Gierek, the first secretary of the Communist Party, visiting the prestigious construction of the Katowice Steelworks, notices workers running in different directions with wheelbarrows. To his surprise, most of the wheelbarrows are empty. So he stops one of the workers and asks him why he is running with an empty wheelbarrow. Out of breath and clearly overworked worker replies: "There is so much work, Comrade Secretary, there is no time to load."
Very often we do not have time to plan our work, to systematize our approach, and to prepare our tools. My experience, based on almost 40 years of work as a scientist is that taking a break from work for a moment can be highly beneficial. If we sacrifice even the whole day to developing just one useful skill, then this day will not be wasted. On the contrary -- this day will be a great an investment in a scientific career that will last for many years. At each of our seminar meetings, participants will have an opportunity to learn at least a few useful skills that will bear fruits in their further scientific career.
Seminar materials (including recordings of lectures)
Marek Druzdzel: Teaching
Marek Druzdzel's main page
m.druzdzel@pb.edu.pl /
Last update: 15 March 2024