史丹福博士星洲揸的士 (Stanford Ph.D. drives taxi in Singapore)

Oriental Daily News,

    博客诉心曲 网上热爆

一名华人拥有世界顶尖学府之一——美国史丹福大学的博士学位，曾在诺贝尔得奖者指导下进行研究，并在新加坡担任分子及生物细胞研究员达十六年之久，但去年被裁退后一直找不到工作，结果转行揸的士。自他于年初设博客后，其转职成为网上热话，有学生对他的境况表示心痛。

新加坡媒体报道，出生于中国的蔡明杰（译音，Cai Ming Jie），一九九○年在美国史丹福大学取得分子生物的博士学位，毕业后在○一年诺贝尔物理学奖得主、著名基因学家哈特韦尔教授指导下，于华盛顿大学担任了两年的博士后研究员。

后来蔡明杰移居新加坡，于新加坡科技研究局（A*Star）的分子与生物细胞研究院（IMCB）中，担任首席研究员达十六年之久，他同时于新加坡国立大学生物化学系担任助理教授，指导学生作分子及生物细胞研究。

博客诉心曲 网上热爆

去年五月，蔡明杰不获A*Star续约，大学助理教授的工作亦于去年约满，其后一直找不到工作，最后决定当的士司机，今年二月取得执照。蔡明杰后来设立博客，其职业的转变旋即成为网上热话，他表示自己可能是世界上唯一拥有史丹福大学博士学位的的士司机。

博客内有他揸的士的经验，同时提及离开IMCB的事，但没有太多内情。蔡明杰说：「的士业可能是新加坡目前仍不断请人的行业。」蔡明杰提到曾于三星期内两度与同一顾客相遇。该名顾客为与蔡明杰继续交谈，不惜让的士一直行驶，好腾出多些时间，其后才返回目的地。蔡明杰亦曾遇上拒付附加费的乘客，令他有点不知所措，兼遭粗言秽语相待，幸好其中一名乘客肯支付费用而了事。

新加坡著名填词人小寒于其博客内表示，蔡明杰是她于大学二年级的导师，并指蔡明杰「被裁退的原因和他是华人，有很大的关系。」小寒写道：「看到他乐天地诉说当的士司机的苦乐，我哭得很惨，好不心痛。」

本报综合报道

本文连结: http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20090820/00180_001.html

拥有斯坦福大学博士学位 失业改行开出租车

曾在新加坡科研局任首席研究员　博士失业改行驾的士 （新加坡19日讯）博士失业，改行驾的士。 一名男子在博客中透露，他拥有美国斯坦福大学博士学位，曾在新加坡科技研究局（A*STAR）担任首席研究员，自去年5月份合约被终止后，就一直找不到工作，于是决定转行当的士司机。 自称蔡明杰(译音，Cai Ming Jie）的博士，在今年4月6日，以“一个新加坡的士司机的日记”为题目，开始在网上写博客。 他说，他可能是世界上唯一拥有斯坦福大学博士学位的的士司机。 他声称，他在新加坡科技研究局的分子与生物细胞研究院(Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology，IMCB）担任16年的首席研究员，可是却在事业颠峰期离开研究工作，过后因为种种原因找不到合适的工作。 他声称，他是在2007年接到通知，指他的应聘合约将在2008年5月份被终止。他说，他被逼入窘境，因为这个年龄突然失业，是一场最糟的恶梦。 “我一直很努力找工作，寄出无数份履历，包括本地大学、政府机构和私营公司，大多数都石沉大海，只有少数回应，可是却没有结果。” 经济萧条，令他更难找到工作。去年11月，也就是离职半年后，他决定当的士司机。 他去年12月份报读的士司机课程，今年2月份，终于取得执照。 他在博客中也感谢家人的支持和信任，不断在他身边鼓励他，让他有推动力继续下去。 著名作词人小寒眼中　他是幽默的科研导师 新加坡著名作词人小寒说，改行当的士司机博士，是她念大学二年级的科研导师。 小寒在接受记者电访时说，她念大二时，在A*STAR实习时的科研导师，是A*STAR研究小组的总组长蔡明杰。 “蔡博士原籍中国，目前已入籍新加坡。在我的印象中，他斯斯文文，长得蛮帅的，一头白发，就是那种温文尔雅的书生型男士。他发表过不少对学术界很有贡献的文章，并且在酵母的抗癌蛋白研究上有很大的国际贡献。” 她表示，蔡博士能在博客上用幽默的笔调苦中作乐，她读后却哭了。 能屈能伸精神可嘉　网民大赞蜕变能力 不少网民大赞蔡博士能屈能伸，精神可嘉，劝他不要放弃希望，要乐观面对人生。 据记者浏览发现，许多网民都认为蔡博士在网上分享他驾的士的经验很难得。有不少网友甚至希望搭到他的的士，听他诉说他的经历。 有人甚至提议他改行当补习老师。 “以你的学历和经验，为什么不试试看教书或者当补习老师？” 一名自称是“博士”同僚的男子看到他的博客后，感慨万千，不过仍然鼓励他说，科学家永远有蜕变的能力，并且很佩服他大胆的决定，祝福他好运。 研究员是否被续约　是取决于几个因素 A*Star发言人说，研究员是否会被续约，是取决于几个因素，包括研究员花多少时间训练博士生、研究员的表现，以及他在研究院和总体的贡献。 发言人说，蔡博士的工作和A*Star其他研究员一样，是由科学咨询总会（Scientific Advisory Board,SAB）评估的，也是它们建议终止蔡博士的合约。 他说，分子与生物细胞研究院（IMCB）也让另外3名独立的专家鉴定蔡博士的工作表现，他们都支持科学咨询总会的决定不续蔡博士的合约。 他说，他们给予蔡博士一年的时间，提供建议和援助，让他另寻出路。 蔡博士证实是SMRT旗下的的士司机。 据了解，在网上发表博客的蔡博士是SMRT的的士司机，SMRT受询时证实这点。 不过当记者要求访问蔡博士时，他通过SMRT婉拒：“我要说的已经在博客上说了……” 写博客大谈乘客百态　申诉研究院不尊重科学家 被研究机构裁退后，改行当的士司机的蔡明杰博士还写博客大谈乘客百态，大受欢迎。 本地最近爆红的博客写手是蔡明杰博士（译音）。他说，自己曾是本地分子与生物细胞研究院（IMCB）的研究人员，去年5月被裁退，11月当上SMRT的的士司机。 SMRT受询时证实，蔡博士的确是他们旗下的司机，但蔡博士不愿受访，只说：“要说的，我都写在博客了，如果要问，你们应该去问研究院。” 他在博客上说，研究院原本的工作环境十分舒服，但最近换了新的一批领导人，他们不尊重科学家，也没有领导经验。领导层裁退了许多研究员，其中最早被裁掉的几个人当中，就包括他这个“建国老臣”。 研究院属于新加坡科技研究局（A＊Star）监管。 发言人受询时说，所有研究员会不会被续约，都必须取决于好几个因素，包括：他们对博士生的训练、表现、对研究院的贡献等等。 发言人说，建议解雇蔡博士的其实是指定的科学咨询委员会，而且，另3名独立专家审查后，也同意他不应该被续约。 他说，研究院给了蔡博士一整年的时间，以及不少资料与帮助，来找其他工作。 蔡博士却称，他一直找不到其他工作，为了养家，觉得加入“新加坡唯一还在积极招募人员的行业”就是的士司机。 他在今年4月开始写博客，谈他遇到的乘客，其中包括：流莺、变性人、外国人等，他的博客文章受到许多人瞩目。 他在博客上说，本月底他的的士约满后，他会暂时专注于写作，之后再继续开的士.

Saturday August 29, 2009

Driven to driving a taxi despite having a PhD

INSIGHT DOWN SOUTH
By SEAH CHIANG NEE

Bio-chemist Dr Cai Mingjie who failed to land another research position after losing his job last year now happily prowls the streets as a cabbie.

SINGAPORE’S fraternity of taxi drivers, with its fair share of retrenched executives, has now an exalted new member – a PhD bio-chemist from Stanford University.

Prowling the streets of Singapore today is 57-year-old unemployed scientist Dr Cai Mingjie who lost his job at Singapore’s premier A-Star biomedical research institute last year.

The China-born naturalised citizen with 16 years of research accomplishments said he began driving a taxi last October after failed efforts to land another job.

The news shocked this nation, which holds an unshakable faith in the power of an advanced university education.

One surprised white-collar worker said he had believed that such a doctorate and experience was as good as life-long employment and success.

“If he has to drive a taxi, what chances do ordinary people like us have?” he asked.

I have met a number of highly qualified taxi drivers in recent years, including former managers and a retrenched engineer.

One cheerful driver – a former stock-broker – surprised me one day in giving me detailed reasons on what stocks to buy or avoid.

“At a time like this, the taxi business is probably the only business in Singapore that still actively recruits people,” said Dr Cai.

To me, his plight is taking Singapore into a new chapter.

“(I am) probably the only taxi driver in the world with a PhD from Stanford and a proven track record of scientific accomplishments ...,” blogged Dr Cai.

“I have been forced out of my research job at the height of my scientific career” and was unable to find another job “for reasons I can only describe as something uniquely Singapore”.

The story quickly spread far and wide over the Internet. Most Singaporeans expressed admiration for his ability to adapt so quickly to his new life. Two young Singaporeans asked for his taxi number, saying they would love to travel in his cab and talk to him.

“There’s so much he can pass on to me,” one said.

Others questioned why, despite his tremendous scientific experience, he is unable to find a teaching job.

His unhappy exit is generally attributed to a personal cause (he has alleged chaotic management by research heads) rather than any decline in Singapore’s bio-tech project, which appears to be surviving the downturn.

The case highlights a general weakening of the R and D (research and development) market in smallish Singapore.

“The bad economy means not many firms are hiring professional scientists,” one surfer said. “Academia isn’t much of a help – there’s a long history of too many PhDs chasing too few jobs.”

While the image of taxi drivers has received a tremendous boost, the same cannot be said of Singapore’s biomedical project – particularly its efforts to nourish home-grown research talent.

“It may turn more Singaporeans away from Life Sciences as a career,” said one blogger.

One writer said: “In my opinion, PhDs are useless, especially in Singapore. It’s just another certificate and doesn’t mean much.”

Another added: “The US is in a worse situation. Many are coming here to look for jobs.”

“I won’t want my child to study for years to end up driving a taxi,” said a housewife with a teenage daughter.

The naturalised Singaporean citizen underwent his PhD training at Stanford University, the majority of his work revolving around the study of yeast proteins.

His case is not unique. US research-scientist Douglas Prasher, who isolated the gene that creates the green fluorescent protein (and just missed the 2008 Chemistry Nobel Prize) faced similar straits.

Prasher moved from one research institution to another when his funding dried up, and he eventually quit science – to drive a courtesy shuttle in Alabama.

“Still, he remains humble and happy and seems content with his minivan driver job,” said a surfer.

With an evolving job market as more employers resort to multi-tasking and short-term contracts, more Singaporeans are chasing after split degrees, like accountancy and law or computer and business.

Others avoid post-graduate studies or specialised courses of a fixed discipline in favour of general or multi-discipline studies. “Experience is king” is the watchword; there has been a rush for no-pay internships.

“The future favours graduates with multiple skills and career flexibility, people who are able to adapt to different types of work,” one business executive said.

During the past few years, as globalisation deepened, there has been a growing disconnect between what Singaporeans studied in university and their subsequent careers.

It follows the trend in the developed world where old businesses disappear – almost overnight – and new ones spring up, which poses problems for graduates with an inflexible job expectation.

I know of a young man who graduated from one of America’s top civil engineering universities abandoning the construction hard hat for a teaching gown.

Another engineer I met is running his father’s lucrative coffee shop. Lawyers have become musicians or journalists, and so on.

Cases of people working in jobs unrelated to their university training have become so common that interviewers have stopped asking candidates questions like “Why should a trained scientist like you want to work as a junior executive with us?”

In the past, parents would crack their heads pondering what their children should study – accountancy or law or engineering, the so-called secure careers – and see them move single-mindedly into these professions.

A doctor was then a doctor, a biologist generally worked in the lab and a lawyer argued cases in courts – square pegs in square holes, so to speak.

Today the world is slowly moving away from this neat pattern.