Vignettes for Success in Academia (A Guide for Young Researchers)

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From a newly independent country learning to govern itself to a nation with capability of developing and launching rockets, India has come a long way. Indian science and technology has had a major role in this feat. The cover page aims to capture this transformation. The photo used shows Indian national flag hoisted at Chandni Chowk in New Delhi on August 15, 1947.

Biman Bagchi was born in Calcutta, West Bengal, India in 1954. He obtained his BSc and MSc degrees from Calcutta University in 1974 and 1976, respectively. He received a PhD degree from Brown University, USA in 1980. Subsequently, he returned to India from the USA to join the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore in 1984.

In an academic career spanning over more than four decades in which he has traversed over a wide landscape of physical chemistry. His seminal contributions often helped building up new areas, by earnest determination, scientific excellence, intellectual leadership and tireless commitment. He has been a great mentor for numerous young theoretical physical chemists of India and an insightful collaborator with leading scientists worldwide. He has published close to five hundred, many well-cited, papers in reputed journals. He remains an internationally renowned physical chemist. He has received a large number of national and international awards and recognitions.

An ever-young, enthusiastic, optimistic, dynamic scientist, he enjoys teaching and writing. He has published several books. In recent years, he has written a large number of popular articles. Since these articles created a huge impact, it has been decided to publish them in the form of a book.

The motivation to write the chapters contained in this book comes from a perceived necessity to provide a helping hand to students and young researchers pursuing studies in higher academics. I noticed that there are a large number of excellent and motivated students who could be in danger of losing out in the absence of a "guiding light". The students are often clueless and ignorant about the practicality of an academic life, about the pragmatism that is essential to excel and succeed in this difficult and highly competitive profession. The difficulties faced by the students often arise from a partial lack of understanding of the "bare necessities" required to attain certain degree of academic success and/or fulfilment. For example, the importance of writing, and continuous reading, are forgotten by students once they join a research laboratory, especially in India. As papers are often written with the help of the adviser, a student never really learns to write good and meaningful sentences. This alone ruins the prospect of many students whose population I would put at about 30%.

Thus, the articles are partly advisory, partly informative, partly motivating and often critical. In fact, more often than not, I have tried to directly address the real issues as I have seen them. In the process of writing these articles, and from the responses and comments received from students and young researchers, there is a real need of such articles to engage students in discussions on such topics as student- adviser relation, selection of right problems, selection of right thesis guide, importance of communication and the need to develop a good writing skill, and so on.

The firmament of Education and Research in India requires a deep introspection in its teaching methodologies for preparing students towards an effective career in research. In general, students entering a career is research in India are grossly unaware of the rigors, tribulations, ecstasies and of a passionate commitment needed for a research profession. Therefore, Indian research scholars, invariably face difficulties in charting out a successful trajectory in research as a career option.

With a few exceptions beside professional teaching, education in India does not provide students the professional skills cardinal to a worthwhile and a sustained career in research. There is also a general absence of mentorship in these important dimensions of research as an occupation. Consequently, compared to their western counterparts, the Indian research scholars begin with a distinctive disadvantage. And, often their limitations continue even at the faculty level, leading to a compromised performance in the long term and a lack of training to their students.

This book, distills the personal experiences and wisdom of Prof Biman Bagchi, with a five decade long illustrious career, both as an eminent researcher and an acclaimed teacher in the areas of Physics, Chemistry and Biology. This book is based on Prof. Bagchi's experiences with students in India and overseas and appraises them of the minimal needs for a sustained career in research, besides of course, the professional acumen.