“Industry has long since seen the need for a systematic approach to mentoring. Although the concept of mentoring is not present in a university’s formal make-up, it is most certainly present.
From my own experience I can vouch that when a rather special relationship develops between a student and his thesis supervisor, there is much more being accomplished besides the routine publication or project. In this equation, not only is the student being given the opportunity to develop oneself technically, but also to get a taste of life in research. As this the case, the thesis supervisor’s duty does not end with simply meeting current goals, but also extends to molding the next generation of researchers. But how many thesis supervisors are even aware of this intangible, yet important, long-term responsibility that rests with them? I am not referring to just a pleasant working relationship, but rather to a situation wherein the supervisor acts as a personal promoter of the student’s best interests. Just as importantly, how should a supervisor be dealt with when the student’s best interests have been selfishly disregarded?
Generally, professors and other teaching faculty members at a Dutch university harbor attitudes that are very pro-student. This is not entirely surprising, as they see the lives of students at fairly close quarters. Hence, over a period of time many of them become adept at balancing their priorities between the current project’s objectives and the development of the student under their supervision. Student mentoring is also an inbuilt tradition in the Dutch work culture, and in most cases it works wonderfully well. Unfortunately, the system’s success has left no need for safeguards for the odd student who is not so lucky. What about those supervisors who see graduate students as nothing more than cheap and disposable labor, and simply as a means to achieving an end? What avenue is left to a student at the TU who becomes aware of being unfairly exploited? What should an international student in China do when he finds his MSc thesis work at TU Delft being promoted by a former industrial supervisor as the supervisor’s own findings?
Even though such cases are rare, even a single occurrence is one too many! While I was extremely lucky with regard to my supervisors, I personally know those who have been very unfairly dealt with. Within these students I see a bitterness that runs very deep, and an aversion towards the fraternity that employs such a supervisor. This is a most detestable kind of academic crime, for not only is the student’s work being confiscated, but consequently, a prospective researcher’s enthusiasm is shattered.
My question then is this: why is it that there is no avenue present where students can raise such moral issues relating to the ethical conduct of their supervisor at a particular company or even at the TU? At present, students are pitiably helpless in the event of being unfairly exploited . and that is a dreadful shame for a university that wants to take pride in its research integrity!”
Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is an MSc micro-electronics student at TU Delft.
“Industry has long since seen the need for a systematic approach to mentoring. Although the concept of mentoring is not present in a university’s formal make-up, it is most certainly present. From my own experience I can vouch that when a rather special relationship develops between a student and his thesis supervisor, there is much more being accomplished besides the routine publication or project. In this equation, not only is the student being given the opportunity to develop oneself technically, but also to get a taste of life in research. As this the case, the thesis supervisor’s duty does not end with simply meeting current goals, but also extends to molding the next generation of researchers. But how many thesis supervisors are even aware of this intangible, yet important, long-term responsibility that rests with them? I am not referring to just a pleasant working relationship, but rather to a situation wherein the supervisor acts as a personal promoter of the student’s best interests. Just as importantly, how should a supervisor be dealt with when the student’s best interests have been selfishly disregarded?
Generally, professors and other teaching faculty members at a Dutch university harbor attitudes that are very pro-student. This is not entirely surprising, as they see the lives of students at fairly close quarters. Hence, over a period of time many of them become adept at balancing their priorities between the current project’s objectives and the development of the student under their supervision. Student mentoring is also an inbuilt tradition in the Dutch work culture, and in most cases it works wonderfully well. Unfortunately, the system’s success has left no need for safeguards for the odd student who is not so lucky. What about those supervisors who see graduate students as nothing more than cheap and disposable labor, and simply as a means to achieving an end? What avenue is left to a student at the TU who becomes aware of being unfairly exploited? What should an international student in China do when he finds his MSc thesis work at TU Delft being promoted by a former industrial supervisor as the supervisor’s own findings?
Even though such cases are rare, even a single occurrence is one too many! While I was extremely lucky with regard to my supervisors, I personally know those who have been very unfairly dealt with. Within these students I see a bitterness that runs very deep, and an aversion towards the fraternity that employs such a supervisor. This is a most detestable kind of academic crime, for not only is the student’s work being confiscated, but consequently, a prospective researcher’s enthusiasm is shattered.
My question then is this: why is it that there is no avenue present where students can raise such moral issues relating to the ethical conduct of their supervisor at a particular company or even at the TU? At present, students are pitiably helpless in the event of being unfairly exploited . and that is a dreadful shame for a university that wants to take pride in its research integrity!”
Ramesh Chidambaram is from India. He is an MSc micro-electronics student at TU Delft.
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