Andrew Akbashev @Andrew_Akbashev Twitter profile

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Andrew Akbashev

2 years

Don't publish for the sake of publishing. Only publish to move science forward. Quality over quantity. Even if everyone pushes you into the opposite direction.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

This is how I advise my #PhD students to write research manuscripts (in case someone finds it helpful). General points: 1. Research questions addressed by your manuscript are key and should guide you. 2. Don’t view your manuscript as an article. See it as a STORY. 3. Pick the…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Your PhD is about the evolution of your mindset. It proceeds through personal research experience, mentorship and development of key skills. This is why PhD in STEM: - is NOT about a thesis (very few people will read it) - is NOT about finish your advisor’s project - is NOT…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

PhD students don’t want to be postdocs. Faculties are leaving academia... Intriguing discussions are published by both Nature and Science. Key points are: #science #research #engineering #academia #PhD #AcademicTwitter

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

#PhD student: Makes $30k a year. Works on weekends as well. Zero life-work balance. "Do you think I have a chance to become a professor?" Prof: "Yes, of course! Finish this project and we will publish excellent papers. I am sure you will easily find a faculty position." ▫️ 2…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

As a professor, pursue the careers of your PhD students and postdocs instead of pursuing your own. I know it may sound strange and even provocative. But in fact it is how it’s supposed to be. Unfortunately, a personal gain is the biggest motivation for many professors. More…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

8 months

And my daily routine: I wake up at 5 am. Get to the gym at 5:30 am. While working out, I listen to a science podcast for 1h. Have breakfast and respond to emails at 7:30 am. Reach to my lab at 8 am. Work until 6 pm. Have a dinner at 7 pm. Read research reviews for 60…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

11 months

Rejection of your paper or grant has NO relevance to the opinion of #research community. It is nothing but the opinion of one person. Several examples: 1. The first paper on graphene was rejected from Nature because “it did not constitute a sufficient scientific advance”.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

DO interview your potential advisor if you apply for a PhD or postdoc. This can save you years of pain, lost dreams and wasted time. ❗ Most students are focused on receiving the offer. But this is the biggest mistake one can make when looking for a position. ▫️ NOT every lab…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Not able to produce “favorable results” in the lab? You are a “loser”. Stay in the shadows of those who can bring cool data to the Big Prof. Sounds familiar? It's not only about this case at Stanford. It's about academic culture in general: - Keep pushing for metrics.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Peter Higgs believes he would be regarded as “unproductive" in today’s academic system. He simply wouldn’t be able to “survive” in #science . On his way to Stockholm to receive a Nobel Prize in 2013, he said the following in an interview to Guardian: #AcademicTwitter #phdlife

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

11 months

Postdoc is conceptually different from a #PhD position. Below are some key points to keep in mind before starting postdoc. 1️⃣ The harsh reality of being a postdoc: 1. Postdoc is a contractual (not educational) position. Your postdoc duties are defined by your contract &…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

6 months

Overpublishing puts enormous stress on students and PIs. And brings tons of money to publishers in STEM. A new study shows that the number of papers is increasing FASTER than the number of #PhD graduates. It’s an amazing work with very useful statistics. Huge kudos to the…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

No reward - no duties. 75% of respondents have reduced the hours spent on academic duties since 2020 (Nature polls). Mostly due to burnout and unwillingness to work for free. This included attending conferences, peer reviewing manuscripts and grant proposals, committees,…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

Your academic CV is NOT linked to your ability to make big discoveries. ▫️ 1. Andre Geim, a co-discoverer of graphene, wrote in his Nobel Lecture article: - “So, at the age of 33 and with an h index of 1 (latest papers not yet published), I entered the Western job market for…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

In your application letter for #PhD / postdoc, NEVER ever say: "Hi prof" "Hello" "Dear Professor" "Greetings of the day" If you do, your email will be immediately deleted by 99% of professors. ▫️ Only start your applications with “Dear Prof. [second_name],” And don’t…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Scientists spend too much time taking “professional selfies”. A paper from PNAS describes what it takes to be a scientist today. Key points (that I always emphasize myself): #AcademicTwitter @AcademicChatter #research

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

This week, scientists have been STUNNED by the possible discovery of room-temperature superconductivity. IF it is true, humanity might have passed a HUGE milestone. The impact will be WAY bigger than the combined impact by ChatGPT, artificial AI and anything else you’ve heard…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Salaries in industry are ~ 2x higher than in academia after #PhD . This is a huge gap. Many students ask me what to do about their bad advisors and boring PhD time. They love doing #research but have no idea how to stay in academia. My advice these days is simple: 1. Do your…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

Just a gentle reminder that #PhD students are not ‘just employees’. Even though their duties may involve extensive multitasking - lab work, data analysis, purchases, writing, travel, organizing social outings, etc… They are also scholars who aspire to gain new knowledge and…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Nature has an open-access fee (APC) = $11,690 (€9,750). Same goes for Nature Materials, Nature Chemistry, Nature Physics, etc... #AcademicTwitter #phdchat #research

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Presenting your work at a conference is NOT about reporting your results. It's about controlling the flow of logic and excitement through the minds of the audience. At each conference, I see a lot of mistakes that make #research presentations hard to follow. Wrong visuals,…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

PhD is largely about leadership development. Advisors play a major role in it. Especially their management & mentorship styles. Research topics are secondary. ▫️ Below are the key points for establishing a great #research group. They will help your students excel. ▫️ 1.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

Leonardo da Vinci loved quality over quantity. He didn’t write paintings in quantities like we write #research papers today. He always invested time, craft and artistry into each of his masterpieces. For example, Mona Lisa took at least 4 years to paint and (most probably)…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

Advice for #PhD students who want to become postdocs and stay in #academia : - How to choose a lab for a postdoc - How to prepare for an interview - What to be careful about Thread: 🧵 [I was a happy postdoc at Stanford] #AcademicTwitter #engineering #science

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

The more I read recommendation letters, the less I want to rely on them. Many people will disagree with me. But I will still say that: #AcademicChatter #phdlife #research

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

Professors should not serve as punchbags for the university admins. A story from this article: - Tolu Odumosu submitted for tenure after 5 years at the University of Virginia (Charlottesville). His application was highly supported by the department, but the school rejected it.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

7 months

You applied for a #PhD / postdoc position, but the professor does not reply to you. Why? As many students are concerned about the lack of response, let me try to explain this phenomenon point by point: ▫️ 1. In industry, recruiters and HR take care of the selection process.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

7 months

Everyone agrees? 😂 #AcademicTwitter #phdlife #AcademicChatter

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 months

It’s a story of how academia goes wrong. And how it self-corrects. A must read for everyone: 2020 - A discovery of room-temperature superconductivity is published in Nature by Ranga Dias 2023 - The second RT superconductor is reported by Dias in Nature 2024 - The first paper…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

All Editors of NeuroImage (IF = 7) resigned because Elsevier didn’t want to reduce the hefty publication fee (it’s $3,450 !!!). And then started their OWN journal! Just a reminder - the profit margin for academic publishing often reaches 40% (while for non-academic - 15%).…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

This is why: 1. Funding decisions for PIs must take into account recommendation letters from former PhD graduates and postdocs. Because funding is used to pay for more students and postdocs, it should be allocated only if the PI knows how to manage people correctly. 2.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

A short summary about how to help your PhD students grow into greater leaders in the future. These are key points that I personally find most important: 1. Inspire them to lead their project. They should take ownership of their work. 2. Discourage them from seeing failures as…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Nature Materials - APC fees are $11,690 (€9,750). Wait... what? It's enough for - paying for 5-10 conferences for my students or - paying for >200 hours of high-res. TEM or FIB or - buying two potentiostats! How have we ended up with this situation... #AcademicTwitter

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Peer reviewing of manuscripts - is it THAT important as everyone thinks? I thought of writing this post later, but Nature has catalyzed me to do it now. Their article mentions the following important points: #science #research #AcademicTwitter

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

9 months

Here is how help PhD students be less dependent on advisors. And be happier. + have more risky projects and possible discoveries. ▫️ We need 10x more PhD fellowships that grant decent freedom to students. ▫️ Good fellowships imply: - You own your project - You choose the…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

Link to the articles: “As professors struggle to recruit postdocs, calls for structural change in academia intensify” “Has the ‘great resignation’ hit academia?”

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

21 days

Faculties cannot find strong postdocs. Plus, new data shows a drop of postdoc applicants in the US. For example, in biomedical sciences: - Drop by 3% in total - Drop by 10% in U.S. citizens and permanent residents Unsurprisingly, this coincides with a boom in biotech. ▫️…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

8 months

Science and academia are two different things. Below are the Pros and Cons of an academic career (my own perspective). It is mostly for the students & postdocs who are confused by how things work and what to be prepared for. ▫️ PROS: 1. You can unleash your utmost…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

5 months

Yes, as a PI, you can publish more papers by pushing your students/postdocs really hard. But NO, those extra papers will not improve your life. ▫️ They will only make everyone unhappier: - Your team members will feel burned out and depressed. - Journal editors will get…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

7 months

#PhD students, don't get discouraged if your studies are too far from an immediate impact or application! You don't have to do the science that everyone is doing today. Instead, your today's research can become the CRUCIAL contribution to the science in the far future. ▫️…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

“Skyrocket your profile. Bring in sizable funding. Achieve international recognition.” - this is how the scope of a Tenure Track is typically described. It means as a TT professor, you must focus on your personal “research brand” and build your small enterprise. For example,…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

6. Reasons are: increasing teaching load and pressure to win grants, duties and administrative tasks beyond the lab, organizational politics or bureaucracy, a lack of support, micromanagement, increasing right-wing hostility towards academics, and [low] salaries and pension cuts.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

“How to identify a toxic group during interview?” - a typical question that I receive on social media. Below I am providing key indicators that students should pay attention to during interview. So, the lab may be toxic if: 1. You were denied a personal meeting with other PhD…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

5 months

A list of papers that were rejected before going viral ( = winning a Nobel Prize). It just shows how #science works sometimes. ▫️ 1. Richard Ernst, Chemistry (1991), for NMR spectroscopy The paper that described our achievements was rejected twice by the Journal of Chemical…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

6 months

Are you a #PhD student who is about to write your first paper? Here's a great summary on 'first manuscript' by the editors of ACS Phys. Chem. Au: Prof. Gemma Solomon, Prof. Jin Zhong Zhang, Prof. Tanja Cuk. I quote the paragraphs that I loved the most: 1. "You might be in the…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

8. Lack of explicit written criteria for tenure promotion “leave the door open for implicit biases against women and people of colour”.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

11 months

Instead of serving as Guest Editors of “special issues” in various journals or looking for other ways to waste time, please spend this time on #PhD students. Your students need your help, time and encouragement. They are your best investment, not journals. Depth of research and…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

3. Ph.D. graduates are “voting with their feet” and finding ways to contribute outside [academia]. “They recognize that there’s exciting career opportunities out there that don’t actually necessitate postdoc training”.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

20 days

New salaries coming up: MS students - $27,000. PhD students - $40,000. Postdocs - $70,000. This is how the government can initiate a change in academia. ▫️ And yet there is one caveat. This budget is not ‘set in stone’. It’s $1.8 billion spread over 5 years first. It can…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

At many universities, faculties (like postdocs) are also viewed by administrators as capable of “free extra labor”. This is resulting in a “great resignation”:

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

11 months

Fear of retaliation in academia goes well beyond our workplace. During the Lindau meeting, Kurt Wüthrich (Nobel prize for NMR) argued against the meeting’s focus on diversity and even mentioned that discrimination against men is real. Here, I would just cite the statistics that…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Nature and Science add new policies regarding ChatGPT. Which prompt the discussion of how well we follow research ethics in general. Nature has added two points to its policies: #AcademicTwitter @AcademicChatter @research

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

7. Statistics: - The Professor is Out [FB group that advises how to leave academia] has grown to 20,000 members in the past year! - PhD Mamas [FB group that supports academic mothers] had 1,500 members for years. Now, it is 12,000 + 300 mothers exploring how to leave academia!

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Students and postdocs! Many of you will face rejections, failures, and disappointment in the future. All is because you do not want to actively learn from older colleagues and experienced professionals. ▫️ My observation: - Students rarely seek general advice and mentorship…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

In this article, we discuss the current issues of academia and scientific publishing, describing its possible future transformations. BTW, it came out of our posts/comments on LinkedIn between Sergei ( @Sergei_Imaging ) and myself. #AcademicTwitter #science #research

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Recently I met a big recruitment manager from a well known corporation. He told me in a non-appealing tone that: - They mostly hire fresh BS / MS graduates - In some cases they hire PhD graduates (but it’s not preferred) - In almost no cases do they hire people with postdoc…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

6 months

Garbage papers are produced not by bad scientists. It's the metrics-focused evaluation that creates them. Can you imagine 400,000 fake research papers? - 70,000 of them was published last year. This is 2% of ALL papers in 2023. - Paper mills produce huge number of papers at…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

In my opinion, this is an alarming and disheartening situation that has been clearly developing for the last decade (and fueled by an increasing competition for senior academic positions). Despite all the bells and whistles, things were exacerbating from year to year.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Link to the paper (there are many more facts and discussions to read in this excellent Opinion):

Science in the age of selfies | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Science in the age of selfies

www.pnas.org

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

3 months

Are you a #PhD student and want to write your first paper? Below I quote the paragraphs that I loved the most from the article in ACS Phys. Chem. Au written by the Editors Gemma Solomon, Jin Zhong Zhang, and Tanja Cuk: ▫️ 1. "You might be in the fortunate situation of having a…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

6 months

Are you planning to write your first research paper? Prof. Fritz Scholz, world-renowned electrochemist, published a short viewpoint for young scientists (and a reminder for older colleagues). Here are the key messages with my comments: 1️⃣ Any scientific publication is a…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

1. U.S.-based researchers reported challenges recruiting in all #STEM fields: “This year … we received absolutely zero response from our posting,” one wrote. “The number of applications is 10 times less than 2018-2019,” another wrote.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

3 months

In #academia , publishing for the sake of publishing makes you a noise generator. How does it work? Quite simply: - When you’re a strong scientist, people follow your publications and research. - The deeper your studies are, the less you publish. Then, your research is more…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

6 months

I am on the academic market again. Next week, I will be at the MRS Faculty Candidate Poster Session in Boston. Make sure to stop by if you want to chat. ▫️ My approaches and agenda: 1. Mentorship and personal development are prioritized for PhD students and postdocs. 2.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

We should do a MUCH better job as a community in voicing our concerns and working out the solutions to the current situation. A lot can be done when a strong consensus is reached by a broader community.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Today’s students will become better scientists. Their dreams are often shattered by the reality of academia. So, they show a pushback against the academic culture that is focused on quantity and flashy results. ▫️ The story with Stanford’s President shows one such example.…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Three more points: 1. I do hope that many excellent candidates will read this post and start getting more attention during applications. 2. There are many more things you should know, but the way you start your email determines attention span. 3. I do my best looking through…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

“PhD training … needs reform now” - reads the title of Nature editorial. The norms of training and mentoring are still in the 19th century. The problems outlined by Nature: @AcademicChatter #AcademicTwitter #phdlife

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

7 months

Stupidity is important in scientific research. This is a very important message. Myself, I often say to students “You should know enough to start your research but never enough to know the outcome. Learn as you go.” ▫️ Prof. Martin Schwartz (Yale Univ.) discusses this in his…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

📌 Just to add: I love Stanford. It pains me to see these news. But to those who think “OMG, this dissolves Stanford reputation”, Iet me say this: Stanford shows its ability to correct mistakes. It’s the reaction to a wrongdoing that defines the system. Not the wrongdoing…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

5. Funding agencies and universities set many of the policies that determine postdoc salary and working conditions. “It really is going to need to take an all-stakeholder effort here to turn some things around.”

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Although this system has its own advantages (!), I still feel that we may have missed many interesting and important discoveries. In essence, science requires perseverance and time. Not entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship should be a byproduct. Not the goal.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

3 months

Senior PhDs deserve more than endless lab duties. They deserve a defense that is done in time. ▫️ Overstaying in the PhD program is normally a bad idea. Downsides are: - The students get too rooted into your lab and will find the next transition harder to make - The…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

14 days

PhD is NOT about learning how to work 12h / day. It is NOT about mastering the art of working on weekends. PhD is about learning how to be efficient. How to spend much less time on the same task. How to work smart and creatively. It's kind of obvious, but... Instead of…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

- He wouldn’t expect to make a breakthrough in today’s academia. Why? Because expectations to "collaborate and keep churning out papers" are too high "It's difficult to imagine how I would ever have enough peace and quiet in the present sort of climate to do what I did in 1964"

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

Albert Einstein broke science. His influence remains colossal. But what was his way of ideation? He did not force creativity. He just relaxed and did seemingly unrelated things. Basically, he stopped actively doing #science . Einstein called it “combinatory play”. This…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

4. Re: salary of a postdoc: “If a research grant has postdoc salary that they pay at a national lab [$20,000 more per year], the program office is going to look at it and say, ‘Look, I can’t give you this much money. It’s so out of line with what everyone else is asking for’.”

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

When a professor you've never met suddenly becomes a co-author of your new manuscript. #AcademicTwitter #phdlife #phdchat

cats being weird little guys 👅

@weirdlilguys

1 year

meowtosis

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

2. Faculty: “It took 2 months to receive a single application [for a postdoc position]. Money is just sitting there that isn’t being used … and there’s these projects that aren’t moving anywhere as a result”.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

5 months

We’re slowly entering the era of Public Peer Review. Scientists are becoming more courageous on social media. Before, we could never imagine that #research papers can go viral. Now they can. And the bigger the claim, the wider it’s discussed. ▫️ With this, we’re moving away…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

3 years

I have an opening for a PhD student (PSI / ETH Chemistry). Focus areas are electron microscopy (TEM), electrocatalysis, kinetics/thermodynamics of oxides, oxide epitaxy. Please apply at #AcademicChatter #PhDposition #PhD #chemistry #crystallography

Job Opportunities | Education and Jobs | Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI)

www.psi.ch

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

A sense of belonging. It reinforces us when things go wrong. It helps us thrive at work. It encourages us to take risk. Now, imagine this feeling is gone. Because… - Your contributions during project discussions are dismissed (or attributed to someone else). - You are…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

1. Scientists have a new mode of activity: “being online” - Constant distractions and external stimulation inhibit creativity and deep thinking - “Thinking out of the box” has become rare because the Internet is itself a box.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

This was in 2013. What about today? I think this story can give you a sense of how “enterprise-centered” and metrics-oriented the academic system has become.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

3. Collaborations are too easy: - Great ideas rarely come from teams. Typically, teamwork does NOT support individual ideas. Richard Feynman said: “Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts.” Science of past 50 years is more defined by big projects than by big ideas.

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

You have applied for a #PhD / #postdoc position, but the professor doesn't reply to you. Why? As I often see students asking this question, I can try to explain this phenomenon (which is obvious to any faculty). #phdlife #AcademicChatter

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

International students and postdocs suffering, faculties being bullied, super-toxic advisors not getting kicked out… An alarming investigation by Nature describes the struggles in #academia . Here is just one specific example: [🧵] #AcademicChatter #PhD #postdoc

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

8 months

This is why I am against rankings in science. They just don’t make sense. Albert Einstein could barely get into this list, scoring 786th in physics. Rudolph Marcus is 507th in chemistry. And Roger Penrose and Frances Arnold didn't even get into the list... ▫️ Perhaps, this…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

What do the authors suggest? “If every hiring / promotion decision were based on reviewing a SMALL number of publications chosen by candidates, scientists would spend more time on each project, join fewer large teams in small roles, & spend less time taking professional selfies”

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Outcome? - The system favors incremental advances MUCH more than discoveries - For young scientists, being original is just too risky - Peer review rarely supports pursuing paths that sharply diverge from the mainstream direction (or even from researchers’ own previous work)

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

2 years

“Electrocatalysis Goes Nuts”, and it’s hard to deny it. This is my personal opinion, but I am sure many researchers will share it. This viewpoint is published in @ACSCatalysis as an open-access paper and raises two concerns: #chemtwitter #Chemistry #DFT #batteries #nano

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

5 months

PhD Fellowship is your path to independence. Please share this: ❗ Below is an extensive list of 169 fellowships for graduate students in the U.S. It is compiled by John Hopkins and is absolutely amazing. I accidentally bumped into it and sharing it here. It involves both…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

10 months

📌 The post mostly applies to the US academic market and partly Europe. In EU, the hiring process strongly depends on a country and specific university/institute. In the US, things are more uniform (from my observation). In many other places, as far as I heard, positions are…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

8 months

My advice on research posters that may help break some stereotypes: 0⃣ A research poster is NOT a bucket where you dump all your results. It makes the poster hard to read. Be selective when it comes to which datasets to show. 1⃣ The title should not be >6-7 words. See it as a…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

- When he retired in 1996, he was convinced that science is no longer done in the way he liked. “It wasn't my way of doing things any more”. “Today I wouldn't get an academic job. It's as simple as that. I don't think I would be regarded as productive enough.” said Peter Higgs

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

8 months

Your creativity can freak out your supervisor. Many bosses need a “doer”, not a thinker. Unfortunately, this does occur in academia too. ▫️ I know many students who came for a PhD because they’d thought they could let their minds wander across the landscapes of science,…

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

7 months

A professor is working on a big proposal that will send the new #PhD student for a wild 4-year ride. #AcademicTwitter #phdchat

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

3. Recommendation letters is a way to indirectly control and even intimidate students and postdocs. “You don’t want to spend 15 hours a day on your research? But then how can I write a good recommendation letter for you?”

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Andrew Akbashev

@Andrew_Akbashev

1 year

Reminders from the past: - Albert Einstein: “Academic career, in which a person is forced to produce scientific writings in great amounts, creates a danger of intellectual superficiality”. - Peter Higgs felt that he couldn't replicate his discovery of 1964 in today’s academia.

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