At UES I was able to see a small-scale pragmatic model at work.
Dr. Carlos Rudamas received his PhD in Germany, and followed with two post-docs there as well. He then decided to return to El Salvador to use his education and connections to help change a flawed system.
Dr. Rudamas has eight Bachelors physics students helping him in four areas of research. All these areas are of practical application to modern El Salvador, ranging from atmospheric spectroscopy to biophysics to renewable solar cells, and are within the limited means that Dr. Rudamas has to work with. He believes that the focus on research, in conjunction with upper-lever class work, prepares his students to pursue PhD's straight out of UES (he equates his implemented curriculum to a masters).
The connection to Germany is strong, and the more successful students are pipe-lined into PhD programs in Bremen and Frankfurt. Further progress is envisioned through structuring a joint PhD program between Germany and El Salvador (research and data collection in Germany, thesis and classwork in El Salvador, for example). One major goal is to get more PhD's teaching classes in physics at UES, as currently only two of some 25+ professors in the physics department have PhD's.
I had a fascinating chat with about 10 physics students. In contrast to Guatemala, almost all said that they wanted to come back after pursuing higher degrees outside. A strong sense of national pride was cited, along with the common theme of family. One kid said, "We're lucky to be able to go to school at all. We owe it to our country to come back and help in any way we can." We didn't get into specifics, but I sensed this was a reference to the brutal decades El Salvador had endured previously.
When asked about specific areas of study, all the students stated their interests as "practical" physics application, mostly in line with the research of Dr. Rudamas, but they also acknowledged that their lack of access and familiarity with other research areas has been unfortunate and limiting in choosing a future direction. They have a strong desire to have specialists from other areas come and give talks, and are open to other fields once given the opportunity.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Universidad de San Carlos, September 1st 2011
This is where things really started to kick into gear. USC is a large public University with seperate physics and math departments (though within the school of engineering for the time being), and one of the only masters programs in physics for all of Central America. While this masters program has been unsuccessful to this point, it shows a promising direction that the physics dept. at USC is trying to head.
In fact, for several years it has been the ambition of numerous principaled individuals, both internal and external, to form a seperate fundamental sciences and mathematics school. Leading the charge for this initiative has been the current physics department director, Dr. Edgar Cifuentes, along with the Guatemalan physicist Dr. Fernando Queveda (currently of the University of Cambridge and director of the theoretical physics institute in Triste, Italy).
I had the priveledge of spending the bulk of an afternoon speaking to Dr. Cifuentes in his modest shared office. It will be difficult to summarize the wealth of information and potential strategies and ideas that were imparted to me during these hours, but I came away with a much clearer vision of what I wanted to work towards.
As I had learned before, lack of scholarships limited the number of students who could study full-time, but also the salaries of the professors were so deficient that many of them had to take on second jobs. Many wanted to do some form of research, but either had no time, or were completely blocked through the nearly impossible process of applying for funding through the university. It was also mentioned that the donation of resources from foreign institutions, such as computers, often gets blocked or severely delayed by uninformed administrators.
It's the belief of Dr. Cifuentes, along with Dr. Queveda, that the first step towards legitimate post-grad degrees and eventual productive research, is the establishment of the seperate Sciences and Math school. This is to commence next year (2012), but only with Physics and Math. The Biology and Chemistry departments decided they were comfortable with their limited course flexibility and focus in pharmacy and health research, though they deal with many of the same obstacles as the Physics department. The Mathematics department has been reluctant to join, but is now committed it seems. The math professors are thought to be comfortable with their 100% teaching arrangement and likely didn't want to put in the extra effort of establishing a new curriculum, but the enthusiasm of the Physics department helped sway them.
By freeing themselves from the umbrella of the engineering department, new classes can be implemented that faculty and students alike can get interested in. Joining myself and Dr. Cifuentes for a portion of the afternoon was one Dr. Enrique Pazos, a Gravitation specialist who recently completed post-doc work at the University of Maryland and Georgia Tech. Dr. Pazos would like to teach a General Relativiy course in the new Math and Physics school, perhaps as part of a more comprehensive masters program.
After my meeting with Dr. Cifuentes and a tour through some very limited labs, I asked to speak to some students, something I now know is a crucial part of this process.
Within the informal "physics lounge," I gave an impromptu talk to 12 kids, which is about half of the current physics class. I found their response to what I had to say inspiring.
We went around the room, with each one expressing what area of physics specifically interested them. They were surprisingly informed of specifics in areas far removed from what was available in their physics curriculum; dark matter research, superconductors, supersymmetry breaking, searching for extrasolar planets, were just a few of the research areas mentioned as future ambitions.
Their excitement for the subject of physics was evident, but they all view their current status in the underdeveloped curriculum at USC as a mere stepping stone. They all plan to go for post-grad degrees in other countries, and the uncomfortable consensus as a response to whether they would come back was "I would love to, this is my country and my family is here, but what am I going to do with a PhD in physics here in Guatemala?"
This response gets to the heart of the problem. There are excited and bright students everywhere ready to contribute and anxious to receive a more complete education, but they need to leave to do it and have no incentive to come back (this is of course common to all fields in developing countries, but the aim here is to get students better educated so that they and their country can contribute to global scientific innovation). I posed the hypothetical question, "With better resources and the ability to connect with foreign institutions to continue your research, would you come back to Guatemala after the completion of your post-grad degrees?" The majority gave an emphatic "Si!"
In fact, for several years it has been the ambition of numerous principaled individuals, both internal and external, to form a seperate fundamental sciences and mathematics school. Leading the charge for this initiative has been the current physics department director, Dr. Edgar Cifuentes, along with the Guatemalan physicist Dr. Fernando Queveda (currently of the University of Cambridge and director of the theoretical physics institute in Triste, Italy).
I had the priveledge of spending the bulk of an afternoon speaking to Dr. Cifuentes in his modest shared office. It will be difficult to summarize the wealth of information and potential strategies and ideas that were imparted to me during these hours, but I came away with a much clearer vision of what I wanted to work towards.
As I had learned before, lack of scholarships limited the number of students who could study full-time, but also the salaries of the professors were so deficient that many of them had to take on second jobs. Many wanted to do some form of research, but either had no time, or were completely blocked through the nearly impossible process of applying for funding through the university. It was also mentioned that the donation of resources from foreign institutions, such as computers, often gets blocked or severely delayed by uninformed administrators.
It's the belief of Dr. Cifuentes, along with Dr. Queveda, that the first step towards legitimate post-grad degrees and eventual productive research, is the establishment of the seperate Sciences and Math school. This is to commence next year (2012), but only with Physics and Math. The Biology and Chemistry departments decided they were comfortable with their limited course flexibility and focus in pharmacy and health research, though they deal with many of the same obstacles as the Physics department. The Mathematics department has been reluctant to join, but is now committed it seems. The math professors are thought to be comfortable with their 100% teaching arrangement and likely didn't want to put in the extra effort of establishing a new curriculum, but the enthusiasm of the Physics department helped sway them.
By freeing themselves from the umbrella of the engineering department, new classes can be implemented that faculty and students alike can get interested in. Joining myself and Dr. Cifuentes for a portion of the afternoon was one Dr. Enrique Pazos, a Gravitation specialist who recently completed post-doc work at the University of Maryland and Georgia Tech. Dr. Pazos would like to teach a General Relativiy course in the new Math and Physics school, perhaps as part of a more comprehensive masters program.
After my meeting with Dr. Cifuentes and a tour through some very limited labs, I asked to speak to some students, something I now know is a crucial part of this process.
Within the informal "physics lounge," I gave an impromptu talk to 12 kids, which is about half of the current physics class. I found their response to what I had to say inspiring.
We went around the room, with each one expressing what area of physics specifically interested them. They were surprisingly informed of specifics in areas far removed from what was available in their physics curriculum; dark matter research, superconductors, supersymmetry breaking, searching for extrasolar planets, were just a few of the research areas mentioned as future ambitions.
Their excitement for the subject of physics was evident, but they all view their current status in the underdeveloped curriculum at USC as a mere stepping stone. They all plan to go for post-grad degrees in other countries, and the uncomfortable consensus as a response to whether they would come back was "I would love to, this is my country and my family is here, but what am I going to do with a PhD in physics here in Guatemala?"
This response gets to the heart of the problem. There are excited and bright students everywhere ready to contribute and anxious to receive a more complete education, but they need to leave to do it and have no incentive to come back (this is of course common to all fields in developing countries, but the aim here is to get students better educated so that they and their country can contribute to global scientific innovation). I posed the hypothetical question, "With better resources and the ability to connect with foreign institutions to continue your research, would you come back to Guatemala after the completion of your post-grad degrees?" The majority gave an emphatic "Si!"
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Universidad de Valle
The next day, August 31st, I arrived at the Universidad de Valle after a lovely four-hour walk through Guatemala City's heavily trafficked and poluted streets.
Another private university with no post-grad programs in math or science (only a masters in Pharmacology), I had two main meetings, one with the Dean of Science and Humanities, the other with the Director of the Physics Department.
The Dean was eager to speak of the positives of his school, stressing the Institute of Investigation and their commitment towards Biology and health-related research. Though from a different school, he also touted the resources of the engineering labs, which I was able to see first hand, and they are substantial.
The Physics Director, in contrast, painted a fairly bleak picture of the system the Physics Department operates under. She has a Masters in Particle Physics from Mexico, and was collaborating on some research through Fermi Lab, but had to give it up due to UdV's unwillingness to sponsor "impractical" research. She also said that a heavy bureaucracy exists through the ranks of the University that makes it nearly impossible to collaborate on anything with Universities in other countries. She says the four other professors in the Physics department with higher degrees are in similar positions, 100% of their work being either teaching or administrative, and everyone is frustrated.
Unlike at Galileo, UdV has an official physics major, but the students again just want to get out and have no incentive to come back. After the second year, all their books are in English, which better prepares them for study abroad. Zero research opportunities exist for these students since there is zero research being done by the faculy.
I took from this visit that there needs to be serious pressure and a change in mentality in order to get a private university like UdV, which has been around for several decades (unlike Galileo, founded in 2001), motivated enough to implement new programs and do substantial research. It's more the system than the lack of resources, both material and human.
Another private university with no post-grad programs in math or science (only a masters in Pharmacology), I had two main meetings, one with the Dean of Science and Humanities, the other with the Director of the Physics Department.
The Dean was eager to speak of the positives of his school, stressing the Institute of Investigation and their commitment towards Biology and health-related research. Though from a different school, he also touted the resources of the engineering labs, which I was able to see first hand, and they are substantial.
The Physics Director, in contrast, painted a fairly bleak picture of the system the Physics Department operates under. She has a Masters in Particle Physics from Mexico, and was collaborating on some research through Fermi Lab, but had to give it up due to UdV's unwillingness to sponsor "impractical" research. She also said that a heavy bureaucracy exists through the ranks of the University that makes it nearly impossible to collaborate on anything with Universities in other countries. She says the four other professors in the Physics department with higher degrees are in similar positions, 100% of their work being either teaching or administrative, and everyone is frustrated.
Unlike at Galileo, UdV has an official physics major, but the students again just want to get out and have no incentive to come back. After the second year, all their books are in English, which better prepares them for study abroad. Zero research opportunities exist for these students since there is zero research being done by the faculy.
I took from this visit that there needs to be serious pressure and a change in mentality in order to get a private university like UdV, which has been around for several decades (unlike Galileo, founded in 2001), motivated enough to implement new programs and do substantial research. It's more the system than the lack of resources, both material and human.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
The Beginning: Galileo University, Guatemala
With a general objective in mind, but with no clue what to expect in reality, on August 30th 2011 I chose to visit the private Universidad de Galileo in Guatemala city. I figured this was an appropriate place to kick-start my project, a school focused on teaching science and communication, and named after the man considered to be the father of modern science and the scientific method of investigation.
One of the most important things I took from this visit was a knowledge of some of the obstacles all students and professors face in the developing world. Namely, with a lack of resources for scholarships, students are often unable to devote themselves full-time to their studies, which also translates to them having no time or inclination to get involved in research. The professors also are loaded with teaching requirements, and are rarely paid to pursue personal objectives. For both of these reasons, and many more I continue to discover, students have great incentive to leave their home countries to pursue higher degrees in the sciences, and little incentive to return.
An informative conversation about the state of the math and science curriculums within Galileo was had with three young engineers who were coordinators or developers within their respective departments, and all of whom received masters degrees from outside of Guatemala. One notable recent implementation that Miguel, of the "Department of Investigation and Development" was touting, were video lectures within their well-organized University database. These lectures allowed students to keep-up with class-work from home and complete their degrees in more reasonable amounts of time.
I was taken around to the limited physics and chemistry labs, then led to the systems department. Here I spoke with two more foreign-educated engineers who helped remind me of why I took on this project. While their resources are limited, they are devoted to developing projects of their own. Eduardo had been working on an electrical river-level monitoring device which would automatically raise or lower barriers to keep the water at optimal levels. It was his excitement about his work that inspired me more than the content of the project (this is more of a "development" project instead of research anyways); it made me wonder what this ambitious young man could do with more time and resources. The other engineer, Adrian, had helped develop an information-sharing system within Galilieo, and between other Universities in Guatemala, to help others know what work was being done and perhaps to collaborate. This is an important concept that should be extendable to a global level, and it was promising to see it already implemented locally here.
Computer resources were fairly extensive for a small university of around 3,000 students, but they are only used for classwork. Minus a small initiative for renewable energy and some small-scale work being done to develop new Apps for mobile devices, there is essentially zero research going on at Galileo. There are also no masters or PhD programs in any of the sciences or math. Nonetheless, the foundations are there and I found the visit to be enlightening and encouraging.
One of the most important things I took from this visit was a knowledge of some of the obstacles all students and professors face in the developing world. Namely, with a lack of resources for scholarships, students are often unable to devote themselves full-time to their studies, which also translates to them having no time or inclination to get involved in research. The professors also are loaded with teaching requirements, and are rarely paid to pursue personal objectives. For both of these reasons, and many more I continue to discover, students have great incentive to leave their home countries to pursue higher degrees in the sciences, and little incentive to return.
An informative conversation about the state of the math and science curriculums within Galileo was had with three young engineers who were coordinators or developers within their respective departments, and all of whom received masters degrees from outside of Guatemala. One notable recent implementation that Miguel, of the "Department of Investigation and Development" was touting, were video lectures within their well-organized University database. These lectures allowed students to keep-up with class-work from home and complete their degrees in more reasonable amounts of time.
I was taken around to the limited physics and chemistry labs, then led to the systems department. Here I spoke with two more foreign-educated engineers who helped remind me of why I took on this project. While their resources are limited, they are devoted to developing projects of their own. Eduardo had been working on an electrical river-level monitoring device which would automatically raise or lower barriers to keep the water at optimal levels. It was his excitement about his work that inspired me more than the content of the project (this is more of a "development" project instead of research anyways); it made me wonder what this ambitious young man could do with more time and resources. The other engineer, Adrian, had helped develop an information-sharing system within Galilieo, and between other Universities in Guatemala, to help others know what work was being done and perhaps to collaborate. This is an important concept that should be extendable to a global level, and it was promising to see it already implemented locally here.
Computer resources were fairly extensive for a small university of around 3,000 students, but they are only used for classwork. Minus a small initiative for renewable energy and some small-scale work being done to develop new Apps for mobile devices, there is essentially zero research going on at Galileo. There are also no masters or PhD programs in any of the sciences or math. Nonetheless, the foundations are there and I found the visit to be enlightening and encouraging.
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