For Science NEXT-W AVE ROUGH DRAFT

Making a Successful Career in Science fn the Asia Pacific

Professor Otto C. C. Lin

The National University of Singapore

The Asian Pacific basin has become the fastest growing region in the
world economy. A recent OECD report showed that the top four countries with the
world's fastest GDP growth are China, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore , all
forecasted to be above 7% , for 1996 and 1997. An earlier study by World Bank has
estimated that , by the year 2020 the top ten economies of the world , as indicated by
GDP at ppp basis , will be: China, USA , Japan , India , Indonesia, Germany , South
Korea, Thailand, France , Taiwan , in that order. Six of this group are in the Asia
Pacific. This is indeed an exciting prospect for the region.

These achievements do not come by acciden t. Over the last decade

many countries in the region have worked diligently in upgrading its economy , with
science and technology as a m吋 or vehicle. Science and technology has been used to
integrate various production factors such as land , material , labor and capital for
synergy and productivity. It has created new uses , new pröducts , new wealth and has
brought new way of life. Furthermore , unlike natural resources , the value of science
and technology can be regenerated and accumulated with use. It is no small wonder
that Deng Hsiao-ping was quoted to say that science and technology is the number
one economic facto r. Undoubtedly , scientists , 1 use the term referring to professionals
practising science , engineering , technology of various specialisations , will be the
major players for economic development for the 21st century over the entire Asia
Pacific.

This rosy prospect does not guarantee a successful career for every
scientist in the Asia Pacific , however. First , a majority of scientists in the area have
derived their advanced scientific qualification , from the Western world. It would be
presumptuous to say that they will 仙tomatically do better on their jobs in the East
than their mentors or peers in the Wes t. Second, there has been very rapid changes in
science and technology. If one becomes complacent for just a moment too long , one
will be caught by accelerated obsolescence , even before reaching the prime of his
career. Furthermore , most scientists in the region are affected by a flaw in the
education system here: the after-effect of severe competition for college admission. 1
will elaborate.

In Taiwan , for example , college admission is solely based on the test

score of a very regimented entrance examination held annually.. The exam is
extremely competitive since demand outnumbers the space available specially the top
universities. The system is different from , say , the US where students have wider
choices of university and the admission is based on many selection criteria. Thus
entrance exam has become an extremely important issue to and student and the family.
Unfortunately , this has distorted the meaning and the process of education. The
priority of schooling is not so much for education but for preparation to enter the next

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level school. Students are trained more for the techniques of taking exams than for
education: acquiring knowledge , cultivating curiosity , nurturing analytical and logical
abilities , leaming relationship with people and the society. Cram schools specialised
in entrance exams are very popular and profitable. This situation is not unique in
Taiwan , but to varying extents in China, Hong Kong , Japan , Singapore and elsewhere.

Those students lucky enough to enter the universities are likely to

cultivate a different set of leaming habits: more memorizing than reasoning , more
imitating than initiating , more responding than inquiring , more following than
leading , more repeating than venturing. They generally have maintained only limited
interests outside their field. This pattems of behavior are hardly that of a successful
scientist in a growing environment where initiative , ingenuity , versatility and vigor are
needed.

Recognising and overcoming these pitfalls are important. Obviously ,

for a successful career, a scientist needs to work very diligently and with a motivation
to strive for excellence. But being good at what he does is not enough , how he does it
is also important. 1 wi1l refer to the “how" 的 the value or the ethics of a good
scientis t. This relates to the ideal , expectation and guidance of behavior at the
personal level.

The list of values essential for scientists include: diligence , innovation ,

communication , excellence , etc. 1 will talk about objectivity , respect , teamwork and
compassion , in the Asia Pacific context.

Objectivity reflects the ability to analyse oneself thoroughly ,

unbiasedly and it enables a person to improve through continued leaming. Confucius
has once remarked ,“Knowledge is knowing exactly what one does know and what
one does no t." Further, he added,“In any group of three people , one will be a teacher
for me." These are beautiful reminders of the accuracy , humility and the yeaming for
leaming of Confucius , a role model of scientis t. In the Asian Pacific culture , there is a
general respect for seniority: age , hierarchy and status. This has created a false
conception that someone senior is often right or more knowledgeable. For the person
in the higher position , he could have the illusion that he is indeed so or apt to pretend
so. Arrogance breeds ignorance , and vice versa. Some scientists , once rise through
the rank , tend to overwhelm others and presume expertise in fields that he has little or
no credentials. No prize or medal or human honors are a license of ornniscience , or
know-it-all. The economical catastrophe in China during the 1960s was largely due to
Mao Tse-tong , whose qualification in metallurgy is at best, dubious , and at worst ,
non-existen t. But he ordered, among others , to set up steel foundries in every village
across the land. The disastrous Great Leap Forward was history. There are plenty of
similar, and perhaps , smaller scale idiocies elsewhere in the history. Thus , one needs
to challenge or to stand challenged , in a level playing field. As a scientist rises to a
senior position , it is his good grace to be humble and his duty to leam and to
encourage challenges.

Respect refers both to the individual and the organization. An

individual should be respected for what he is: race , gender , religion , place of birth ,
occupation , viewpoints or family status. This is the basis of equality. When an
individual enjoys respect , he will fell equality and freedom and have the motivations
to innovate and contribute. The vitality of the USA is , in part, founded on this. A
visitor seldom feels foreign in the US , quite unlike in Japan , China, Malaysia,
Indonesia and many places over this region. Further, it seems incredulous that ethnic
conflicts and provincial scuffles are still rampant today in many parts of the region.
Any country allowing hatred and selfishness to rule will find it difficult to compete in
the 21st century. Byextending respect to the c。中oration ， one will have the
obligation to be a good employee , ethical and loyal. Property rights , capital or
intellectual , will be respected and protected by all , to say the leas t.

Teamworking has a special place in the high tech fields whose basic
characteristic is multi-disciplinary. A successful enterprise is one that enables
scientists and other specialists in marketing , sales , financing , etc. , to work as a team
with synergy. Teamworking encompasses both competition and co-operation that are
needed to develop individual and organisational potentials to the fullest extent. It was
observed out that the most popular and numerous tittles in'Taiwan and Hong Kong
these days are chairman and president. They number by the hundreds of thousands.
Many people, scientists included , like to be the lead person , with or without a team.

Finally , compassion for the community , country , and the society at

large is needed. Science and technology provides the tools , methodologies and new
avenues to service mankind. These efforts will be more effective if carried out with
focus in line with national goals. It would require personal sacrifices that can not be
accomplished without compassion to the society. Further, scientists often believe that
their job is to discover , invent , improve and construct new products or processes and
to leave actual imp1emenations of the results to others. Unfortunately those who are in
the position of disposing scientific results often lack the necessary knowledge , or
could be prejudiced by profits or other interests. Thus implementation of scientific
results also brought harmful effects to the environment and mankind. Today ,
industrial pollutions and hazards have damaged the air , water and land quality to an
alarming degree in many parts of the Asia Pacific. Learning from the past , scientists
should be proactive and compassionate in their work. Thus economic growth will
indeed bring opportunity , prosperity , excitement and hope to the society , now and the
future.

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