Italian jobs cause ruction
Brain Gain programme goes wrong.
Hundreds of researchers who moved to Italy in the belief they had been promised permanent careers are now finding themselves without a job. And confusion has erupted as the country's research ministry has suspended one appointment made through the same scheme.
Read teh story here.
Comments
There is an important point not raised by the article. The principle that “the Brain Gain scientists are 'queue jumping', and should compete equally with local scientists who may have been waiting longer for new permanent positions to come up” is claimed by Italian Universities as the explanation of their harsh opposition to hiring “returning scientists”. But this is only part of the truth. A very important determinant of such an opposition is that “not planned recruitment” modifies the delicate equilibrium internal to Faculties, which is mostly based on the balanced number of researchers, associate professors, and full professors enrolled in each Department, within a Faculty. The higher such a number, the greater the political power of a Department. Sadly, the lack of will to re-discuss such an equilibrium was experienced by returning scientists as the most effective barrier for their enrollment. What for the last five years has been a highly publicized and prestigious government program, has ultimately become a trap for many scholars and researchers who, having lost the chance to develop careers abroad, suddenly find that the very system that so encouraged their return neither recognizes nor offers to evaluate their work
Posted by: Gabriele Gentile | February 8, 2007 10:10 AM
Indeed, it is quite sad to witness for the umpteenth time the total waste of the little resources that Italy allocates to science and culture in general. I would like to see waht kind of results "private" organizations (Telethon, Armenise Harvard) have achieved in this sector.
Thanks
M
Posted by: Monica Ensini | February 8, 2007 10:29 AM
The same situation has happened for the some scientist enroled by Telethon fundation, Dulbecco Telethon Institute (DTI) Program. I know that at least two researchers has now left again Italy and the majority of the investigators are still working without a stable position or clear perspective.
Posted by: Silvia Cursi | February 8, 2007 02:39 PM
It is quite true what Gabriele Gentile writes about the equilibrium in the Italian universities political scene.
Nevertheless, I would like to stress on the concept of "queue jumping", although with its real meaning, that of a truth behind a lie.
As a matter of fact, I believe that the Universities are honestly concerned about that issue, but which is the queue that the "returning" scientists would probably jump? I am afraid it is not necessarily the one that the readers expect, i.e. a meritocratic queue. It could rather be a very very long queue of people who , having devoted themselves to the established system, now must be "rewarded" by the same system. They and their dream of a reward constitute the power of the system.Imagine what would now happen if the returning scientists started to jump that queue.What could italian universities bosses promise to their academic "slaves" (I hope you will forgive this euphemism)? What would Faust say if someone else got his youth without selling out his soul?
Posted by: Pietro Gambadauro | February 8, 2007 04:36 PM
Tenure track positions and life-long planning of employment constitute a chimera also abroad (e.g. USA), not just in Italy, as tighter grant funding and highly mutable system do not assure future stability, nevertheless a meritocratic system does indeed exist. Whereas often in Italy position are offered in compensation of long term commitment and volunteering (minimal retribution) to a professor rather than CV outstanding achievement.
Posted by: Federico Foschi | February 9, 2007 01:53 PM
Sincerely I think that the idea of a "Brain Gain programme" is wrong.
Usually Italian scientists working in Italy are the best one.
In fact, an Italian scientist will not go abroad for a Ph.D. or postdoc
if she/he can remain in Italy with a good salary.
This is due to the fact that Italy is a wonderful place to live.
So, it is true that in Italy there are very few reseach positions
but they are usually occupied by the best ones.
As an example, please compare my Hirsch h index or my cumulative
impact factor (deduced from ISI Web of Science)
with that of a generic assistant professor in US or that of a lecturer in UK.
Posted by: Luca Salasnich | February 9, 2007 05:24 PM
Italy is a wonderful place to live, no doubt about it!
But how comes in the department I left for USA most of the tenure track professors and researchers had an I.F. and H factor lower than mine?
Posted by: Mario Rossi | February 10, 2007 05:59 PM
I am once again really upset knowing what is happening at home.
The complete lack of a meritocratic system is where the problem underlines. In Italy you first will be a slave and if somebody has connections it will always, i repeat, always jump ahead of you, no matter what are your research accomplishments.
Italy indeed is a beautiful country, but it is also a country with huge social problems where the ones who cheat and have connections are the ones that will succeed.
I am well aware of the fact that an Italian scientist will have a higher number of publication. An Italian scientist will put his name on every possible work, work that often is not his own but the work of the slaved students. The concept of cheating does not exist at all, published work gets published all over again as new work.
I am just really sad and, again I understand that I will never be able to return to my beautiful country to pursue what I most love, research.
Posted by: Italian International Student | February 10, 2007 06:55 PM
As one of the few (permanent) foreign researchers in Italy, I find the comment that "the best researchers remain in Italy" to be contrary to my experience. The brighter and more motivated students understand the system of patronage (accurately) described in the previous comments, and, after a difficult period of soul-searching, usually decide to leave for other countries where their talents are more immediately and generously rewarded. In Italy, while there are many excellent researchers, the good research that happens gets done literally in spite of the system. I have seen several instances in which the parts of the system that work the best get shut down for entirely political reasons. The reality (unfortunate for the major part of the researchers here) is that scientific merit, as understood by the rest of Europe, the US and Japan, very rarely enters into the decisions of who gets a permanent position.
Posted by: foreign researcher in Italy | February 13, 2007 02:25 PM
As an overseas PhD student, I agree with the last opinion. It is true that some, but not all, of the most talented remain, but given the scarcity of funding, grants, positions and career possibilities for the young compared to what you see in other countries, they must have been endowed with an outstanding degree of patience. And if you add politics to this... If I recall well, researchers under 35/40 constitute less that 10% of the research staff in Italian universities. Sadly too, there is and has been little interest by the political, industrial and business elites in promoting research. Sadly I say, because talent there is, but is wasted by poor organization...
Posted by: Peruvian PhD Student | February 17, 2007 02:04 PM
I am sorry, but I must insist on that:
my field of research is theoretical condensed-matter physics. I do not see very talented young Italian theoretical condensed-matter physicists working abroad. The best ones are all in Italy. Apart A.M and L.V.
In addition, I think that in Italy there is much more
meritocracy than in US or UK. I surely prefer the
Latin-German method to hire academic and research staff members.
To conclude, it is important to stress that in Italy there are large national reseach institutions
(CNR, ENEA, INFN) which are not universities. Many young staff members.
work there.
Posted by: Luca Salasnich | April 13, 2007 07:18 PM