Trained for Excellence, Left Without Opportunities
The international PhD students job crisis is a growing concern across academic and industry landscapes. Despite years of rigorous training, many highly qualified researchers find themselves unwanted, underemployed, or entirely overlooked in todayโs shrinking job market.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ-๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ urges
Make the most of everything. Take what you getโbig or smallโand chase your aspirations. Something will click.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ
Identify Stakeholders and Build Support for Your Strategy
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ
speaks more loudly as we advance in our PhDs, arguing that no amount of patience or perseverance guarantees opportunity. Citing market volatility, economic uncertainty, and employer hesitancy, it proposes a detached resignation:
โDonโt glow just go with the flow. Keep calm and move on. The world isnโt running anywhere.โ
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง
And then comes a deeper, structural dilemma.
Recent shifts in government policy and university strategy globallyโsuch as cuts to research and development (#NHIFundingCuts) and tensions with top institutions (#HarvardUniversity)โsignal a wider systemic undervaluing of academic research and talent pipelines.
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฒ. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐จ.
A Call for Dialogue
On behalf of the doctoral research community, Iโd like to open a conversation with:
#Recruiters | ย #TalentAcquisition | #HiringManagers | #AcademicLeaders | #Policymakers | #ThoughtLeaders | #BusinessOwners | #VentureCapitalists
Should the PhDs adapt and upgrade if Industry canโt help them to secure placements, help in future proofing and pat the back through a make-sense realistic set if demands?ย
๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐.
They are performing research, sharpening teeth on next gen tech, shaping trajectories of growth, and networking with Who and Who not? – Yet, PhDs ponder this very Question.