PhD applicants journey - stakeholder responsibility

Have you been in my shoes? Or have you heard of anyone who was / is / will be a PhD 'student'? Do you work as a professor? If you have a yes answer to any of these questions, you are most probably fully aware of the rigidity of the systems, which is threatens our motivation or takes away the passion.

Not mine, I will do it :-) since my PhD proposal is at the same time my personal and professional mission: revolutionize the education system with the direct involvement of the corporates.

Real challenge comes right before the program begins: number one is to find your supervisor, who shall be a professor you do admire for her / his commitment and knowledge. Then you either apply for a scholarship combined with a research assistant position as a full time PhD candidate, or you continue working in your industry, become a part-time PhD 'student' and pay the tuition fee. The higher degree offices' expectations vary largely about whether you should write a paper of 100,000 words or publish 25 scholarly articles...or just 3 and write a thesis of 50,000 words. The workload is incomparable so is the outcome.

Everything we innovate is based on research, testing and first almost everything was a theory, even after an accidental practical success profound analysis must underpin the outcomes. Researchers provide basics for innovation, decision making, changes, progress - however we wish to name it.

The responsibility level however is huge on each and every party when it comes to the PhD programs. Universities tend to accept applicants (because they have to), who are ready and able to pay for the sometimes 10,000 of euros or dollars programs, some professors support their PhD students with amazing commitment and beyond, while some of them put extra workload on them and not contribute to the progress. Nothing different from the corporate sector :-) Shan't we involve the corporate sector, which will actually benefit the most from our researches and findings...?

These are just a few reasons why: 1st the education system does not need alterations but a whole revolution, and second, unity of the scientist community is pivotal, last but not least non of the changes are reasonable without working on them together: public, private and non-profit sector.

Only together we can make a difference. A real one. Lasts for a long time. (SDG 4th, Quality Education, United Nations)