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Written on August 16, 2009 by Kelvin Teo

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A tale from the Lion City – A Stanford Ph.D. turned taxi driver

From a Stanford Ph.D. to a taxi driver

(photo credits:Photo by: Osrin)

SINGAPORE – Not too long ago, the Singapore government targeted Biomedical Sciences as a potential avenue for growth. Life Sciences became the talk of the town. Places in the universities leading to a Life Sciences degree increased. There has always been the danger that we could end up producing an over-supply of Life Sciences graduates, and soon we will face the conumdrum of having too many Life Sciences graduates competing for a limited pool of Life Sciences-related jobs. Thus, Life Sciences graduates are advised to upgrade themselves to the Ph.D. level. Non-Ph.D. holders are qualified to wash test-tubes, according to former A*STAR chairman, Mr Philip Yeo. However, not all graduates can qualify to do a Ph.D. Most if not all graduate programs require at least a second upper honors performance for an undergraduate degree. And not all undergraduates will be able to muster that level of performance. Only with a Ph.D. can a candidate work as a Principal Investigator in an academic or research institution.

Given such a context, Dr Cai Mingjie’s experience has some sort of an unexpected twist. Dr Cai underwent his Ph.D. training at Stanford University, a top institution that has seen five of its faculty members or former students receive the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine. Majority of Dr Cai’s work at Stanford revolves around the study of yeast proteins, and a list of his publications on that topic can be accessed at Scientific Commons, a repository of scientific publications by researchers. Yeasts cells are considered biological models for eukaryotic cells found in our bodies, plants and animals. Thus, they are popular subjects of study which allow scientists to better understand what goes on inside a typical eukaryotic cell.

Armed with his Stanford Ph.D., all went on well for Dr Cai initially. According to his account (now published in his blog), he worked as a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) under A*STAR for 16 years. Back then, IMCB was still located at the NUS campus and he described the old IMCB as a “once flourishing, promising, and pleasant” place to work in. However, things changed for the worse when there was a takeover of IMCB’s leadership by some “big shot” foreign scientists. According to Dr Cai, the previous style of “democratic and consensus-oriented management system that had worked well for more than a decade in the past” was ditched, and in place was a management style marked by “domineering, manipulation, and incompetence”.

“Since the takeover of leadership by some western “big shots” a few years ago, the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) of A*STAR, Singapore, a place I have worked for 16 years as a PI (principal investigator), a place that was once flourishing, promising, and pleasant to work in, has been in a mess. Bestowed with the kind of power they had never seen before, these once reputable scientists turned everything in the institute upside down. The previous democratic and consensus-oriented management system that had worked well for more than a decade in the past was thrown out of window and replaced by one that was marked by domineering, manipulation, and incompetence. What they lacked in experience of management, adequate understanding of the institute, and proper respect for fellow scientists as their colleagues, they made up for in arrogance, prejudice, and naked muscle of political power. ” – Dr Cai Minjie on his blog

What subsequently transpired was that a few Principal Investigators were sent packing, and Dr Cai was one of them unfortunately. His employment contract was terminated in May 2008, and to further rub salt into his wounds, he wasn’t given any form of compensation. He became jobless at a vulnerable age, but nonetheless, he sent out resumes in the hope of landing a job. That wasn’t to be and with the onset of the financial crisis, he finally made the decision to become a taxi driver. He underwent the Express Taxi Driver’s Vocational License Course, and finally obtained his taxi driver’s license and embarked on his new career as a taxi driver.

If Dr Cai’s account is true, the nature of the management at IMCB which precipitated his departure may be a cause for concern. A Research Institution should be the last place where one can find autocracy and domination by a few select personnels. An ideal environment should be a democratic one tolerant of diverse views, just like how an academic institution should be open to diverse academic views. Thus, Dr Cai’s account suggests a potential endemic problem and raises the pertinent question of whether the correct people have been selected to run the Research Institution. Doing research is a different kettle of fish from the administration of a Research Institution. A*STAR has always embarked on an aggressive recruitment drive to lure big name scientists to set up shop in Singapore; they are in Mr Philip Yeo’s words “whales brought in to train the guppies”. A top researcher may not have the necessary expertise to run a Research Institution. Thus, the assumption that a top researcher can flawlessly run a Research Institution is flawed. What is necessary are conditions that allow the ‘guppies’ within the Research Institution to flourish.

However, Dr Cai’s experience was like a fish getting suffocated out of water, or more accurately in a suffocative environment marked by domination, prejudice and arrogance in his own words. It is good for a nation like ours to dream of becoming a Biomedical hub, but first and foremost, we must create an environment to allow our talents in the field to flourish. If such an environment remains suffocative, such dreams will only remain as hallucinations.

496220 Comments2009-08-16+13%3A39%3A25Kelvin+Teo on "A tale from the Lion City – A Stanford Ph.D. turned taxi driver"

Raymond Tham on Sun, 16th Aug 2009 11:29 pm

Sad to say it will probably remain that way as the workplace culture has been set by those in upper management.

We have a particular person who says such sweeping statements about keeping people in their little boxes, but what has he got to show since moving to another agency? Without the hardworking guppies, institutional machinery and MNC muscle that have made institutions where he worked great, this big-statement person is floundering in an agency whose mandate is to develop guppy businesses.

He forgets that the recent Nobel Prize winner from Japan only had a bachelor's degree, and that he himself has?

Singapore has an imbalanced environment favouring FT, particularly in the government and GLC environments. Don't get me wrong, FT are a valuable resource, more so if they are told in no uncertain terms their mandate to develop local people, not lord over them.

Sadly, I think the message sent out to these FT is the opposite.

I totally agree that we need to develop our own people, people who, like Dr Cai, would rather drive a taxi than leave the country. I know of job openings overseas if the taxi option does not work. Then again, it is a loss to Singapore to have a PI like him drive a taxi, whatever the country. (I totally respect taxi drivers, but we must enable our local talents to flourish rather than keep compromising)

We need to be people developers, not just people importers, or our nation's environment will be worse than "Hotel Singapore" that we are creating, it would be "Casino Singapore", a reality perhaps even before the IRs open.

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Daily SG: 17 Aug 2009 on Mon, 17th Aug 2009 11:35 am

[...] or salvation? – ErniesUrn’s Xanga: MM Lee: Foreign talent is vital – The Kent Ridge Common: A tale from the Lion City – A Stanford Ph.D. turned taxi driver – Next Stop Wonderland: A taxi driver in Singapore with a Stanford PhD – Empty Vessel: Of course [...]

jdshfla asjdfh on Mon, 17th Aug 2009 3:54 pm

Mr Philip Yeo is the bad guy, not those big shots, although they are not good either.

Jackson Tan on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 3:25 am

I wonder if there are also other accounts of poor management style in IMCB. As much as Cai Mingjie's plight is lamentable, it may be too early to take his words that the management is arrogant and biased for the truth. It could be a disagreement of personalities, or a difference in research style (e.g. I noticed personally that western researchers do not hold back when critiquing someone's research – my conclusion is that "face" is not as prioritised in western societies as in Asian societies).

However, if his words reflect more or less the truth, then it is indeed woeful that such severe politicking has crept into a research institute.

alan on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 4:19 am

In a Research Institute, one should embrace differences in research style. C'mmon he has been around for 16 years, and certainly under the management of more than 1 director. It is true that more than one PI has left IMCB abruptly during that period.

Kelvin_Teo on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 5:46 am

Dear Jackson:

There was actually a mass exodus of PIs from Dr Cai's era. It wasn't an isolated problem. Even one director had to leave.

Sincerely yours

Jackson Tan on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 9:03 am

I see… The statement in the article,

What subsequently transpired was that a few Principal Investigators were sent packing, and Dr Cai was one of them unfortunately.

gives the misleading impression that it's only a minor shuffling of staff.

Kelvin_Teo on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 9:19 am

I would agree it would make a misleading impression, if the description of Cai's experience at IMCB was omitted. But what happened at IMCB suggested an endemic problem.

Sincerely yours

Clement on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 3:14 pm

Hi Jackson,

Sure do. I am working in an academic-research environment and what Dr Cai (a Singaporean) mentioned ring loudly in mine too. Not sure when I will be asked to go either, but it is though to see colleagues "falling" one-by-one (i.e. sent packing) and sadly these are the more senior, experienced and loyal ones.

Kelvin_Teo on Tue, 18th Aug 2009 4:50 pm

Dear Jackson:

Apologies for my earlier "mass exodus" phrase. What happened was that there was a trickling out of PIs since Dr Cai's time and over a period of time. Some of them were told to leave earlier, and gradually others followed. Was referring to the tricking out of PI. So it looks like a mass exodus given the number of empty labs at IMCB. Again, pardon my lack of elaboration. I am sure others can verify Dr Cai's account.

Sincerely yours

Arsento on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 7:59 am

Very interesting and amusing subject. I read with great pleasure.

smallvice585 on Wed, 19th Aug 2009 7:07 pm

SPH shameless. Stole this story for their own profit

The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 34 on Sat, 22nd Aug 2009 11:42 am

Soojenn on Sun, 23rd Aug 2009 10:11 am

Not surprising… do they know what research is in the first place? I don't think so. Singapore is a country apparently with no idea of what top research is, in international terms, and keep dead logs as Deans in our supposedly "high" ranking universities.

Such deans not only know nothing about research, have hardly any referred papers to your name, and is yet heading the departments in the universities whom are supposed to produce, generate high quality research work. One suh dean can be found in the Pharmacy department of the NUS, where they put on a wayang to hire top researchers internationationally but put one of theirs in place, also one without any credible research work to their credit.

In institutes, like A-star, they just hire from "branded" universities thinking that this will work wonders. We have already seen several failures..

Taxi driver-blogger is a PhD graduate « storypress on Wed, 26th Aug 2009 4:20 pm

[...] Ridge Common hopes scientists will be allowed to work in an environment where talents are allowed to flourish Dr [...]

guest on Mon, 31st Aug 2009 9:43 am

I believe Singapore has an obsession with "angmo" talent which is frequently unjustified. People here should have more confidence about themselves. After a century plus of "angmo" rule, it seems that many people still equate "angmo" with superior talents. Once you have blown their cover you treat them as equals not superior.

Miss M on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 10:29 pm

Get over this ANG MO fetish Singapore!

The evils of colonization still lingers on. Yes, the Brits brought in systems and laws and what not, but we were the ones who built our country up from swamps and slumps!

Good angmos are a pleasure to work with. Bad angmos make use of their skin colour to p$#^ you over and go back to their kampung after making the money they do not deserve.

I encourage each and everyone to question these foreign talents. Make them prove their worth not just by the colour of their skins or their oratory skills. Need to really level up the playing field here people!

QB on Tue, 22nd Dec 2009 2:16 pm

I think its not fair to say all “ang mos” are not good.. At least for me, i once work under a ang mo PI, she treated us very well.. that i can’t bare to leave the lab if not for her departure for good…
My thoughts: Science if its not to help others / cure human / reduce our suffering from ailments, what use has it got? May we always ask ourselves!
What use has it got to clinch a title / status if one does not contribute to the society and the people. Those who chase after fame and status on the expands of others will definitely lead a miserable life in the end…

Writing Services on Tue, 2nd Feb 2010 2:13 am

I know a very similar story. My friend's Dad used to be a professor in a good-standing university, teaching paper writing but now, he's turned to cab driving for a living. Well, sometimes, life can be that harsh.

Science on Mon, 5th Jul 2010 9:46 am

I am a Singaporean post-doctoral researcher working in Scotland, and i have just came across this article. I have to say in European scientific careers, publications are key in tenure renewal and academic promotions. I had taken a look at Dr Cai's publishing record and i must say it is not impressive at all. In 16 years as a PI, he had only published 9 articles in low impact journals, with nothing published before 2003. It is therefore very surprising that he even kept his job prior to 2003. His best publication came when he was a PhD student at Stanford and thats about it.

As of working in any company, you are judge by your output. If you are an investment banker, and you do not really produce any investment returns, you are out. As such, i feel that Dr. Cai's input on his situation are highly biased.

two sides of a coin.

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