Thursday, February 17, 2011

Career Guidance: Research as Career

An Interview with Dr. Javid Ali

SV : At what point in life you decided that you want to become a scientist. What has been your motivation for being a Scientist?
Upto Class 12th, I had not taken any decision about my career but during my graduation (B. Sc. in Physics, Maths and Chemistry), I developed an interest in studying Physics and mathematics in more detail.


SV : What has been your motivation for Research?
I always loved to learn more and more in Maths I thought all the physical things can be represented in mathematical formulations and all the problems can be solved using these formulations

SV : Please Guide the Research Scholars.  What are the key things they should keep in mind?
First of all, I would advice to all the students who wants to take Research as their Career to identify their subject of interest, the subject which he/she would like to study in detail. Good quality research can only be done in the subjects in which the research scholar is keenly interested so that he can enjoy the deep involvement into the subject. There should be no compulsion in
the choice of  subject.
Secondly, according to my experience right guidance is very important. One should be on right track right from the beginning.

SV: How should they go about studies etc? Do's and Don'ts. Please share your study routine during your research.
Obviously hard work and labor is always required to achieve any goal. But I do not think that there is any particular pattern of study in research because in research you cant stipulate a time period to do any task  as research is a continuous process. For Example, While doing research in Mathematics, you cant say that I should solve this equation in this particular time limit. Actually you can't. You have to get deeply involved in the problem and explore continuously irrespective of time. If you define time period then it is not research.

SV: How do you feel after being at the position of a Scientist? What difference you find in yourself (Your personality, thinking etc) before and after becoming a scientist.
I feel very happy that now I could understand mathematics better. Now I analyze the physical things in the language of mathematics. I develop applied knowledge and
thinking.

SV: Please share some incidents or experiences from your life which you would like to share with today's youth.
I have done B. Sc. (Physics, Mathematics & Chemistry) from Agra University (D.S. College Aligarh). In the entrance exam of Agra University for M. Sc. I got 45th rank. I was intimated by Agra College, Agra for the same. I also got selected in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh. I chose Aligarh Muslim University and took admission in the same. In AMU I realized that during my B. Sc. (Mathematics) I had not learnt pure mathematics. For about 2 months I couldn't understand the Mathematics taught in AMU. This was the subject in which I have done my graduation, spending 3 years of my life. Then slowly I started following the subject. I can say that AMU has very strong department of pure mathematics of world Class.
SV : Take home message for people who wants to become Scientist in future?
Before giving advice to the research scholars, I would like to share my opinion that our system of education should be changed.
The people interested in doing research should go on the track of research right from the beginning.  After high school, one should decide his career objective. If he wants to go for research then he should study the subject in detail in which he wants to do research.
decide his career objective. If he wants to go for research then he should study the subject in detail in which he wants to do research.
In our system of Education mostly students don't think about research even until their graduation. After passing 12th class Students give various competitive exams. Some get into the medical or engineering fields, some take admission in bachelors course. After graduation, most of the students try to crack Competitive exams for MBA like CAT/MAT/XAT etc. The Cream of the Students get selected there, the leftover students take admissions in Master's degree out of which only a small number choose research as their career path. Among these research scholars, very few scholars are really interested in true research others just want a PhD degree so that they can become eligible for lecturership.
Due to this very reason our country is lacking behind in the field of research. Research has been one of the measures of a country. We need some very good Researchers to uplift our face as a Technologically advanced country.

SV: Take home message about Salamevatan. What we should do to make a difference in Society?
Minority community is lacking in basic education. We should make efforts to make them educated.







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