It was a Monday morning when I bumped into a friend who completed her PhD a couple of months back and I was excited and all ears to hear her latest adventure post-PhD only to find out that a doctorate in medical research is working as a research assistant for under RM 2000 as salary. Disappointed would be an understatement to describe how I exactly felt not just for my friend but for thousands of doctorate graduates who are either struggling to land a job or settle for less than what they deserve. Having been in the research scene for over half a decade now, I have constantly witnessed PhD graduates from critical research fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) moving out of the country to find better job opportunities abroad. This brain drain has only aggravated over years and the fact that we are losing some of the brightest minds to others is shameful and sad at the same time. We keep seeing Malaysian researchers excelling and putting up a great feat in some of the most established institutions in the world and undoubtedly it is a proud moment but didn’t we fail them when we could not provide the opportunity to achieve the same from our very own motherland? How did we get here and who are we going to blame??
Insufficient Recognition in Industry
When you tell someone that you are doing a graduate degree, you can see them going all amazed at the dedication of someone willing to spend years of their lives to achieve the highest form of education. Sadly, the scene is different when you apply for jobs with a doctorate, especially in the industry. It is a common sight to see researchers end up in academics however, there is far less recognition for research graduates in the industry. I believe that we are falling short in terms of research and development (R&D) in the industry compared to Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and many other Asian countries due to scepticism in accepting research postgraduates into the field. One of the common comments from industry hirers is that these graduates lack experience in the industrial field. While I do agree that the graduate students should be encouraged to pick up other training, short internships and skills that are required for industry, completely dismissing an opportunity under the pretence of no experience are certainly unacceptable and discouraging. Whilst experience can be gained over years, the knowledge, skills and endurance that a doctorate graduate develops from carrying out a novel research project and tackling and solving problems unique to the project are some of the assets that the R&D in industries can make use of. Some industrial players have been more open to giving opportunities to young researchers but we still have a long way to go before we can be proud if we intend to empower the R&D in important industries including pharmaceutical, engineering and many others.
Discouraging Salary Range
The journey from degree to PhD takes about 7-10 years depending on whether it is a direct PhD or a Master’s degree is involved. A decade is inevitably a long period to invest in academics especially in the prime years of one’s life which can range from the mid-20s to mid-30s. Most if not all young researchers opt to do a graduate degree out of passion knowing that it involves greater financial challenges and prolongs the timeline to attain financial stability. Despite the struggle, they indulge in research with a hope to contribute something beneficial to the community hence the least that can be done is to provide them with a salary that is reasonable when they get into the work scene. One of the major attractions that encourage research graduates to move abroad is reasonable wages. If we can offer deserving pay locally, perhaps, the brain drain can be curbed to a certain extent. Will an employer offer a STEM graduate with 7-10 years worth of experience a salary of RM 2000-3000? The answer is a clear cut no; then why do we do that to our PhD holders? Why do we completely ignore the experience gained throughout the academic years? The argument here is to not offer them an exorbitant salary but a reasonable one that matches their expertise and education level which is just basic rights. There are undeniably some academic institutions and industries that pay PhD holders reasonably well, but let’s not look past the reality of many others who are struggling to get a decent wage especially right after completing their doctoral degree.
If we were to take a closer look at the developed nations, they prioritise R&D in all sectors to keep improving the quality of life of their people. Larger funding is channelled towards research by the government and industries have a bigger appreciation towards R&D leading to increased employment of researchers in relevant industries. Hence, the policies devised at the national level impacts the perspective on R&D by industries which is why we need political leaders to pay heed to this matter. Of course, the government alone will not be able to solve this issue but with cooperation from industries and relevant organisations, we can prevent the loss of more bright minds in the future.
When Covid-19 hit the world, whom did we turn to for a solution? The researchers. It was not just in medical research but various other fields that needed to step up their R&D department to adapt, sustain and improve the lives and livelihood of many. If that did not teach us a lesson on the importance of researchers, I am not quite sure what would. Are we going to wait till another pandemic to provide the acknowledgement that the researchers deserve or do something about it now to stop yet another brilliant researcher from moving out?
Thanusha is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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