SantoshHelekar wrote: Being good at research and teaching are not mutually exclusive. In today's world to be successful in research, especially scientific research one has to have great communication, leadership and interpersonal skills. Most cutting edge research today is done collaboratively across institutions within the country and internationally. A successful scientific researcher in the U.S. in particular also needs to be a good manager of people and finances because he/she runs an independent laboratory consisting of research staff, postdoctoral fellows and students. He/she is also entrusted with the responsibility of raising funds through grants to run his/her laboratory. Explaining complex ideas to not just students but to foundations and funding agencies is absolutely critical to survival, let alone success, in the current environment.
Most excellent researchers I know at present are also excellent teachers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Folks, Teaching is easy when you have people who want to learn. The hard part is acquiring the skills to communicate with those who are not yet interested. Harder yet, is expanding knowledge and convincing people of the potential of the new ideas. My interaction today with teachers is limited to listening to researchers who need funds to continue their research. The basics are always the same. Someone has a great idea and believes s/he can find the antidote to a malady. The person needs funding for research that will take three to four years, cost at least 'x' number of dollars, which is then followed by another two years of waiting for the FDA to review and approve the drug. Then the new drug has to work without too many side effects and if all goes well, the investors become the owners of a bonanza drug. If all goes well. Any researcher/scientist who is trying to raise funds is dealing with the most sceptic purse controller. S/he would need excellent communication skills to get that funding. A good teacher usually does well here. Mervyn1432Lobo
