A Critical Perspective on Academic Culture: An Open Letter to Esteemed Professors

I am unsure if the esteemed professors will read this, but as it is difficult to address these issues directly, I will offer some cynical criticism under the veil of anonymity. I hope this post might change some of your perspectives, which could benefit the academic community.

Brief Introduction

I am a 3rd-year assistant professor in my mid-30s, having completed my bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees at a regional university before being appointed there. My lab is now well-established with four integrated program students. Although more students want to join, I'm currently limited by the research topics I can responsibly lead and the time I can dedicate to each student.

In terms of education, I've been recognized as an excellent lecturer, which is gratifying. I believe my success in both education and research stems from my own experiences of struggle, allowing me to empathize with and effectively guide my students.

The Reason for This Post

I'm writing this disorganized post because I'm troubled by comments I've heard from various professors during this conference season. While not everyone shares these views, a significant proportion express a strong aversion to 'today's youth.'

Common Criticisms and My Responses

1. 'Today's youth are stupid'

Today's youth are the product of the advanced education we've long desired, albeit in an extremely competitive environment. They've grown up witnessing and experiencing various social phenomena, both positive and negative, that we've created. They've learned that it's beneficial not to tolerate injustice or abuse of power. They've grown up correctly and righteously.

If they seem unintelligent, it's because the current curriculum has changed. Some students enter engineering departments without proper physics or chemistry education (this seems more prevalent in regional universities). While I view this negatively, it's an issue with the educational system, not the students' intelligence.

2. 'Today's youth lack passion'

It's not that students lack passion; we're the ones diminishing it. They come to learn research but end up spending time on administrative tasks, cleaning, driving, and taking care of international students. When we criticize them for not accomplishing enough, it's natural for their passion to wane.

3. 'Today's youth can't conduct research independently'

They come to us to learn because they can't do it independently yet. It's our responsibility to guide them, provide direction, and brainstorm solutions when they're stuck. That's our purpose.

4. 'Today's youth don't read papers'

Make them want to read. The volume of papers today is overwhelming. It's no longer an era where reading a couple of seminal papers suffices. Guide them properly or organize paper discussion meetings.

5. 'Today's youth are too money-oriented'

Aren't you at a university that pays you? Wouldn't you switch schools if your salary stopped? How are students any different? If you want to pay less, create a lab environment so appealing that students would want to stay even without pay. If that's not possible, pay more or teach more.

Final Request

Please don't criticize hardworking junior professors for not being complacent. Hearing comments like 'Today's professors think they're still graduate students' is what prompted me to write this heated post.