Research - a career that makes you rich

Hi friends! This is my first blog after coming to Waterloo. I thought of sharing an interesting and inspiring story happened in my life few years back.



It was a wonderful evening. I was heading to Mumbai after a brief vacation from my home town. Train journey has always been a fun for me. I have met many interesting personalities during my train journeys. Likewise, a retired professor from Indian Institute of Science was yet another important person whom I met during my train journey. I was reluctant initially to open up a conversation with him. Interestingly, his wife started asking about my whereabouts and family details. It was not uncommon to talk about personal details to a stranger in India. I was telling her, “I work as a Scientist “B” at Naval Materials Research Laboratory in Mumbai. It is an exciting opportunity but many of my classmates are earning good money after their under graduation.” He smiled with a gesture. I could see a positive change in his body language during my conversation with his wife.


After an hour, he closed his book titled “Advanced topics in heat transfer”. He started asking about my projects. He was so curious to know some of my projects' details. His interest to know new ideas were evident. I was surprised to see a seventy years old person wanting to know more about science and engineering.


Then, I started thinking about having research as a career. I used to tell many of my friends that research neither makes you rich nor successful. Despite this confusion, I started to talk to him at a low voice “Professor, this research career did not make any difference in my life style. I am saving the same percentage as before. While I was an engineer, life was easy and simple. At the end of eighth hour (Shift engineers work only 8 hours in a day), I was happy to have my own life. But my present job gives extra stress after the work. I would rather like a white collar eight hour job instead of stressful research career.” he smiled again and opened his heat transfer book and continued to read. I went to bed after having a nice dosa in Krishnarajapura railway station, near Bangalore.

Next morning was sunny and the train stopped at Wadi junction near Maharastra. I had a nice coffee and vada bhav, a famous Maharastrain food, for my breakfast. I started reading the local news paper. After an hour, he smiled and asked me “Did you get good sleep?” I smiled and nodded my head. Then he gently touched my shoulder and told, “Young man, I could see me in you. I asked the same questions (that you asked last night) to myself several times before 45 years. I am not rich even today. But all my life I was looking for a strong demand for research career. I might not have bought a luxurious nice car or ornaments for my wife but I have patience to understand her needs. I have developed this quality through research.”


It was interesting to listen and his voice is so low like our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh. This may be a unique quality for all elevated people. He continued," With my qualification, I could not get a local job but wherever I worked I was respected by the local society. This gave me immense satisfaction. I am a hero while discussing about my research to my students and peers even at 70. My inventions are my babies. I never get stressed during the process.”

He did not speak like president Barrack Obama or prime minister Tony Blair but the way he delivered his thoughts were amazing. During my undergrad days, I developed a phobia towards lecturers and professors. They also enjoyed that. But this man was different and had the ability to correlate the real life with his power of thinking.


He continued his conversation with an interesting comparison between life and a famous game in India, ‘Cricket”. He told, “Look Shankar, succeeding in career is like playing pace and spin bowling in different pitches. It needs head and eye co-ordination to play well. Yes boy, career is like playing cricket. Comedies and tragedies are always part of it. But next day, you have another match. You need new ideas and strategies to overcome the hurdles. Happiness in research and life is all about creating new ideas and understanding the surroundings.”


I listened to every single word of him. I never thought that this particular moment is going to change my life and career. Then, he asked me " Boy, Now you tell me, Am I rich or not?” I felt enlightened. The beautiful Pune station arrived and he and his wife waved their hands while train was heading to Mumbai. Today..I am doing my PhD at the University of Waterloo although comedies and tragedies are still part of my job. Trying to become rich..

Cheers

Shankar