Research-Led PhD to Solution /Practice-Led PhD

(Disclamer: This post is meant not be substitution-suggesting but complementary-suggesting)

When The Economist published, "Why doing a PhD is often a waste of time', the backlash was quite evident. It is not to revive that theme. Are Universities failing to boost economic growth? The idea is to reflect on what it takes to produce more solution-based PhDs along with the research-based (and therefore the intellectuals) PhDs and hence the disclaimer

When PhD was born in University of Berlin in 1809, German philosopher Wilhelm von Humboldt's idea was to discover something new about it.

With India producing about 24000 PhDs annually , the moot point is could some of these PhDs have been solution/practice-based PhDs?

The basic difference between both the models (refer the figure) is that while the research-led model infuses research-based rigor,the solution/practice-led model infuses solutioning with ethnographic research and design thinking (for creating prototypes) with business outcomes as opposed to academic outcomes.

These two models are meant to coexist. While some disciplines / domains require a clinical analysis, the solution/practice-led model infuses a solutioning-rigor, probably with the ethnographic research and design thinking (for creating prototypes)

In a solutioning-approach, the researcher becomes a "curious experimenter". Percy Spencer , for instance, created the ubiquitous microwave oven while researching radars using a new vaccum tube.

Jimmy Wales discontinued his PhD in financial mathematics and co-founded Wikipedia, intrigued by Richard Stallman's 'open-source software'.

How to nurture solution/pracice-led PhD? Sillicon Valley seems to offer a sustainable and progressive solution. If top-500 Indian Fortune companies can sponsor at least 5 PhDs every year - due of course, through the diligent process - we are lookint at 2500 solutions. And if every Startup - at their Seried D funding stage or Mezzanine funding stage) can sponsor 2 PhDs, that adds up to a few more thousands. And so should all the PSUs, Family Businesses, etc. If every listed/unlisted company can sponsor PhDs annually the output not only adds to their CVPs (the solutions) kitty but also would improve the authenticity and accountability of PhDs

The final PhD thesis is to be vetted by both the company guide and University guide/ supervisor. And this can also enable a few more research topics, consulting projects, publication (case studies, articles, working papers, Industry notes, books, movies, podcasts, vidoes, etc) opportunities

Every researcher can obviously not be the legendary Michael E Porter . But the endeavour is to make some PhDs resarch-oriented while others can be solution/practice oriented with an intense desire to make every PhD count for the posterity.

Are your best years behind you? Hope not, after completion of PhD. "What you seek is seeking you" as Rumi said.