Space Science vs Down-to-Earth Science.
Written by Lau on April 16, 2008 – 12:35 am -Read this from kj’s blog, a fellow blogger I’d know for sometime through online. He was asking why are we (Malaysia) cannot be down-to-earth in sciences, in respond to one of our previous posts, Malaysian Cabinet Really Wanted To Send Another Space Traveller, wrote by WTJ.
I attended a seminar talking about the management and policy in science area. Too bad I don’t have management background to understand all the management and policy terms/thingy, I can barely understand what were they talking about. Otherwise I would have share it.
But the Q&A section was pretty fun, some of the audiences pointed out certain general issues that have long bothering us.
One of the Guru who involved in science area for over 20 years, restlessly pointed out that very often, same ideas which made Korea success, turn out to be different things when went through cabinet approval… perhaps due to shortsighted and lacking of science knowledges of those who holding powers and authorities. Perhaps concern of “pocket money” as well (it might not true, hehee).
Politics and result oriented mind can be devastating when come to science management. In Malaysia, general elections are held every five years. Science and technology are full with uncertainty and are not something predictable, it’s certainly not something which can be 100% answered in 5 years time. After discovered ways of obtained mouse embryos, it took another 20 years for western scientists to merely just discover the potential of stem cells!
Five years? That’s ridiculous! It’s only enough for mini science projects, perhaps another tax-payers-subsidize-space-travel-project, but not science.
Furthermore, Malaysia don’t have a solid science fundamental.
But politicians want positive results for next general election.
Attended project meeting with MOSTI servants before. After a good presentation by presenter, MOSTI servants only concern about 2 things: progress and financial reports.
Understanding their nature of job is to monitor science projects funding by them doesn’t make me feel better with the fact that they only concern if the projects can be accomplish on time, monies of the project are spending, and prefer/paying attention/happier with fancy, magical, and promising outcome despite the underlying fundamental problems.
Well… who don’t?
Even a naive master student would want to do a bombastic title, without understanding how far he/she can go.
Same thing goes to application of science fund. To increase the chances of getting funding, researchers often trying to make their application sound fancy and promising just for the sake of attracting panels’ eyes. This can be pretty upset if the particular research ground doesn’t have solid background, which might lead to project failure, and giving a negative impress where scientists can make a good lie when project defend is not done properly.
This kind of culture and environment is definitely discouraging fundamental science.
And while researchers and scientists in Malaysia are struggling with all these, cabinet is debating how many millions of tax payers’ monies they should burn in space.
Doing science in Malaysia can be pretty depressing, and passion killing most of the time.
Or maybe I just being bias. I don’t know.
Whatever it is, happy researching~
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Tags: angkasawan, funding, MOSTI, politics, research, S&T, science, science management, science policy |
April 16th, 2008 at 2:42 am
I attended this kind of meeting before for project I did for my MSc.
Yes, the project was funded by MOSTI and the time frame was 5 years. We had 5 groups involved in this project, each of us had different approach of study. However, when we tried to convince staff from MOSTI that we need more funding to further the project, MOSTI refused our suggestion. They want figures only (progress and financial report).
As the result, the project just stopped with preliminary results obtained. What a waste in term of money (tax payers money) and time of researchers and students!
Friend of mine worked in private laboratory for the last few years. The boss keep on thinking that research just like cooking class, adding this and that then you’ll get the result as you wish. IF you can’t make it then you were the person to be blamed.
IF any research can get promising result(s) in 5 years time or like cooking class. I strongly this world already free of illness or maybe we already able to travel between galaxies!
April 16th, 2008 at 3:20 am
I tell u, my experience in private sector was pain in ass! They expect us to do magic in lab with cheap and shameful equipments, and they want to make monies out of that!
Can u believe they actually asked me to isolate Legionella sp in a cheap laminar flow with NO glass shield? The air blow DIRECTLY onto my face! I’ve been giving hours of lectures trying to tell them the reason it cannot be done in the lab, but they avoiding it and continuing with the business!
I quit after 1 mth, and this was only one of the stories.
SIGH.
April 16th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Correction for my previous comment:
“I strongly BELIEVE this world already free of ILLNESSES or maybe we already able to travel between galaxies!”
I believe your situation in private lab. I saw that by myself. Money is major concern in private lab. Workers’ health?
That is class 1 laminar air flow cabinet. Well, I used to work on this cabinet for 5 years during my MSc
I worked with E-coli plus bacteriophage all the times. As the result, I have had a mild fever every times I finished my work.
Maybe someone will says: “Hey, look at the bright side, you are enhancing your body’s antibody system.”
They know science? My foot. They know money. When you are sick, they can hire other to replace you.
Sometimes, I just wish (bad karma thought, better not) their own sibling(s) have a chance to go through it. We will see how they react to that condition after all!
April 17th, 2008 at 10:43 am
from my studies, even the australian funding are for potential commercial research that can actually earn the money, it’s not 5 years term, but it’s 3 years in aus.
I guess same problem occurs in many countries as the politicians expect instant result, they just want the success result that earns them money but not the painstaking process.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:47 am
potential commercial research with only 3 yrs term should be something that have been well established with their background researches, methods, and etc, with of course potential commercial value, and ready to commercialize. The main objective of the research you mentioned should be make the research outcome commercialize able and put it into commercial line. But not something start from scratch.
I involved in this kind of project yrs ago (clinical product, not commercial), also 3 yrs grant from MOSTI, it was a great project with great idea, it can be done, one of the groups had archive their objective instead, but peoples ruin it.
but again, this is different from condition of private labs in Malaysia. Private labs here, you are given strict guidelines to follow, numerous trial and error of validations to perform when start setting up the lab. No research involve at all as far as I concern. Enterpuer might invest in institutional projects, but not in their private labs.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
that’s the difference between malaysia industries and other countries’, malaysia just ain’t focus on R&D.
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