Tag Archives: PhDlife

PhD for what? (cont.)

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This post builds on my previous post on PhD for what?

What can academics really do for/with community?

One of the students offered her thoughts during my teaching demo (I was invited for a campus visit)  that academics (students included) use most of their skills to do research, while many organizations outside campus (including where they do internships, volunteering works, and others) do very little research. This is absolutely true.

It is about the split that in the field of philosophy often discussed: “the mind-body split.” In the ideal world, the two would need to be balance. The higher education institution serves more on the mind element of the split.

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PhD for what?

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As someone who is preparing his finish line in the pursuit of PhD, I have been thinking about many different things about how to use all these experiences, skills, and networks, for my next career. During this moment of contemplation, I came across the following:

You find yourself better placed to help others do the research than doing the research yourself. – Dr Nathalie Mather-L’Huillier.

I have enjoyed very much facilitating a service learning course, implementing its philosophy, and embracing its opportunities. I was first exposed to the practice service learning back in 2006 when I was a member of a community-based research team, and published a book documenting a total of 67 in-depth interviews with local community organizations; please read this interview about the book.

Continue reading PhD for what?