- Forum discussion
In 1999, a group of postdocs at the NKI/AVL, frustrated by lack of career perspectives initiated a discussion about their position in science.
"We would like to start discussions among postdocs at the NKI/AVL on topics like: how can universities and research institutions create a stimulating postdoc climate? What would you like to see your current employer provide you with in terms of skills training? How to work on your scientific survival skills? How to achieve tenure qualifications? Instructions on writing grants, research papers and landing a job, public speaking, management and internationalisation. The idea is to organise these meetings in a Postdoc platform, which will convene regularly."
- The forum discussion at the retreat will be an opportunity to address some of these issues. There will be a panel of speakers who will initially address specific points, however, active participation by all is encouraged. On the next page are a number of statements that cover some of the relevant issues. We hope they will also stimulate you to generate your own statements or questions which you would like to have discussed. You are encouraged to submit a question in writing. A number will then be selected for open discussion by the forum. Now's your chance to have your say!
- Forum discussion statements
- The problems at hand can be analysed in terms of marketing principles: There is a surplus of postdocs, while on the other hand there’Äôs no well developed market for these highly educated researchers. Principles that govern a healthy market are disconnected.
- Fact of life: Where postdocs in academia are concerned, human resource management is lacking altogether: there are no career planning strategies for postdocs..
- Postdocs themselves are to blame for the current predicament: postdocs are not career-minded enough.
- The NKI can be a testing ground/role model for postdoc-directed career (perspective) management and development.
- The NKI needs to change it’Äôs attitude toward postdocs: career management for postdocs needs to be implemented; if the NKI can not take responsibility, external expertise should be recruited.
- A postdoc position is defined as a training period for academic research. Since over 80% of postdocs will not obtain permanent academic research positions, postdoc'ing should be defined as a temporary career.
- Whose to blame?
Postdocs should take the initiative. Too often the system gets the blame. Postdocs are themselves to blame for the fact that they cannot find a tenured position. This, according to Professor Frits van Oostrom. Rather than playing victim, they should fight to improve their situation.
Many postdocs are very concerned about the fact that only twenty percent of them manages to obtain a tenured position. Prof. Dr. van Oostrom acknowledges that there is a problem; Postdocs are an important source of scientific talent, yet all they can do is stay put and wait for better times. Nonetheless, at a gathering in Amsterdam of the National postdoc platform, he confronted postdocs with the fact that it is too easy to simply blame the system for their current predicament. As a Professor in Dutch language, he has always been very resourceful. Before the age of 30 he was awarded a special department chair. In 1994 he won a Spinoza price. With this money he built his own research group. Todays postdocs, he proclaims, are focused too much on their research. They are virtually invisible within the university administration. Postdocs have to make sure that they are noticed, particularly now that there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel. Van Oostrom thinks that in the near future, a lot of tenured positions will become available to young scientists. In his own language faculty, about 55 percent of the staff is above 50. Postdocs should already be warming up to have a go at these positions.- Politics
The National postdoc platform, on the other hand, says that postdocs are a victim of politicians. For instance, ever since politics have made the universities themselves responsible for unemployment benefits, universities are reluctant to give out permanent positions. A member of parliament, O.Cherribi, agrees with the platform in that politics should show more interest in academic research. However, postdocs will have to learn how to approach politicians. Since academic research is only a minor portion of the whole education budget, lobbying should be done at an early stage and well before the new budgets are allocated.
This is also the opinion of U. Lambrechts of D66. Where are these Postdocs?, she wonders. They do not show up in Den Haag to lobby. And even today here at this meeting, not too many showed up! Postdocs will have to work harder to gain some political clout. As long as this does not happen, politics will continue to cut on academic research in order to balance the education budget, according to M. Rabbea, of the green party. Whereas the benefits of educational funding are visible to everyone, those of research investments are usually not. This makes it easier for politicians to cut on research spending rather than education.
