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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

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From a Stanford Ph.D. to a taxi driver
(photo credits:Photo by: Osrin)

20 Comments on "A tale from the Lion City – A Stanford Ph.D. turned taxi driver"

  1. 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.

  2. 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 [...]

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. 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.

  8. 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

  9. 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.

  10. 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

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

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

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

    SPH shameless. Stole this story for their own profit

  13. The Singapore Daily » Blog Archive » Weekly Roundup: Week 34 on Sat, 22nd Aug 2009 11:42 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 – Chee Wai’s Random [...]

  14. 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..

  15. 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 [...]

  16. 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.

  17. 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!

  18. 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…

  19. 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.

  20. 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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