This was the year 2011 when I joined a prestigious school of Economics in India as a masters student. Just like everyone else who got through the place, I too was brimming with confidence to have made it to the program and along with that had eyes full of dreams to get a huge placement after two years with a fat pay.
Forward to the summer of 2012, one year in this institute was enough to inspire me to do research in economics. In that one year, we did not learn anything about research in economics but the faculty of the econ department inspired me so much that the thought of being like them professionally was what changed my mind. What came next were a bunch of strong decisions. Not sitting for campus placements to joining the PhD program right after my masters, not even for a second I doubted my decision. I knew what I wanted. Despite all odds, I was overjoyed to be a researcher. Happily doing my research as an economic theorist, I was living every moment of my life. All was good, until last year when some big questions started crossing my mind.
Agreed I am doing interesting work that I am happy with, it will get me a degree and not forget a new title 'Dr.', a bunch of good publications so on and so forth. But is this the end itself or are these means to an end.
Research has always been about adding to the knowledge that is out there in the world. Some of it has been pathbreaking and life-changing. Imagine a world with no light bulbs if Edison hadn't got it in the first place. Yet, research and more so in social sciences, has become myopic and limited to getting good publications, sharing ideas in the policy discourse and at times contributing to discussions in the media. I don't mean to undermine any of this but the problem really is that what we believe is the effect on the world at large. Some people I can argue from economics, do aim to create real-world impact and have their efforts strongly focussed towards the same. But largely, except for some small marginal contributions as researchers (not teachers), our end goal is publication in a top journal.
What use is a conference on health and sanitation when a huge chunk of the population still defecates in open? We like to see the impact of awareness programs on individual behaviour. But how many of us care about whether people become more aware and stop defecating in the open or once-off the field, we end up being obsessed with the econometric specification we are using.
Research should add something to the lives of each of us and all of this goes beyond any kind of a divide or an ideology. Else we are defeating the whole essence of our own creation.
Best,
P
What use is a conference on health and sanitation when a huge chunk of the population still defecates in open? We like to see the impact of awareness programs on individual behaviour. But how many of us care about whether people become more aware and stop defecating in the open or once-off the field, we end up being obsessed with the econometric specification we are using.
Research should add something to the lives of each of us and all of this goes beyond any kind of a divide or an ideology. Else we are defeating the whole essence of our own creation.
Best,
P
