Why this proposition? In Guus Hiddink land: A Korean PhD student talks about life in the Lowlands, being, and multi-split gratings.,,Western science tries to analyze all the details, while Oriental philosophy tries to regard the whole without decomposition.
That’s why Oriental scientists are more likely to have an identity conflict before reaching a critical decision.”
No, not an aphorism stuck on the Delta office wall, but rather a proposition found in Korean Seong Ho Kong’s (ITS) thesis, ‘Infrared micro-spectrometer based on multi-slit grating’.
Why this proposition?
,,In Western society, problems are decomposed, until each element stands for itself. But then the problem loses its original characteristics. I like to see and feel the whole problem as a whole thing.”
You saw your thesis as one complete thing?
,,Yes and no. I finished one course officially, and I’m beginning a new thing, but there’s no starting or ending point in life. I always have feelings about something, like my work as a researcher. If I try putting a problem into words, it’s never completed, there’s always a shortage in what I’m trying to say. This is very Oriental. During my research, I had many conflicts and discussions with my professor. I’d say to him, “I know this is correct. I can feel it.” And he’d say, “Feeling? No way…just prove it.” So I made computer simulations or mathematical calculations, which were necessary of course, but mostly I was right anyway.”
Have you experienced any identity conflict here?
“No, but as an Oriental I’ve had to adapt to the differences. In Korea and Japan where I studied, for instance, one stands for our superiors, so whenever my Delft professor entered my office, I’d stand up. My professor asked me to stay seated, but at that time I was conflicted: to stand or not to stand. But I didn’t suffer an identity crisis. Probably because I knew about the Western world before I arrived. I watched a lot of your movies.”
After five years research in Delft, how Western are you?
“Not very. My wife is Korean, so we speak Korean. But my little boy’s Korean language is very bad.”
Why Holland?
“I never thought people would be doing science in Holland, I thought they were more into art, because of Van Gogh. But then I met my present supervisor in Japan during a dinner, and as he talked about Holland, my curiosity grew. One month later I decided to come to study in Holland.”
Why not Japan?
“I could have done the same research in Japan, but there I wouldn’tget paid for my PhD research. That’s one reason I chose Holland, although it doesn’t fit with my belief in the Oriental saying, ‘Everything is nothing and nothing is everything’. If you rid yourself of all temptations%%for money, a big house and car%%you become what it’s all about. I guess I’m probably more Western than I thought, but doing a Western study in a Western society has benefited me as well.”
In Guus Hiddink land: A Korean PhD student talks about life in the Lowlands, being, and multi-split gratings.
,,Western science tries to analyze all the details, while Oriental philosophy tries to regard the whole without decomposition. That’s why Oriental scientists are more likely to have an identity conflict before reaching a critical decision.”
No, not an aphorism stuck on the Delta office wall, but rather a proposition found in Korean Seong Ho Kong’s (ITS) thesis, ‘Infrared micro-spectrometer based on multi-slit grating’.
Why this proposition?
,,In Western society, problems are decomposed, until each element stands for itself. But then the problem loses its original characteristics. I like to see and feel the whole problem as a whole thing.”
You saw your thesis as one complete thing?
,,Yes and no. I finished one course officially, and I’m beginning a new thing, but there’s no starting or ending point in life. I always have feelings about something, like my work as a researcher. If I try putting a problem into words, it’s never completed, there’s always a shortage in what I’m trying to say. This is very Oriental. During my research, I had many conflicts and discussions with my professor. I’d say to him, “I know this is correct. I can feel it.” And he’d say, “Feeling? No way…just prove it.” So I made computer simulations or mathematical calculations, which were necessary of course, but mostly I was right anyway.”
Have you experienced any identity conflict here?
“No, but as an Oriental I’ve had to adapt to the differences. In Korea and Japan where I studied, for instance, one stands for our superiors, so whenever my Delft professor entered my office, I’d stand up. My professor asked me to stay seated, but at that time I was conflicted: to stand or not to stand. But I didn’t suffer an identity crisis. Probably because I knew about the Western world before I arrived. I watched a lot of your movies.”
After five years research in Delft, how Western are you?
“Not very. My wife is Korean, so we speak Korean. But my little boy’s Korean language is very bad.”
Why Holland?
“I never thought people would be doing science in Holland, I thought they were more into art, because of Van Gogh. But then I met my present supervisor in Japan during a dinner, and as he talked about Holland, my curiosity grew. One month later I decided to come to study in Holland.”
Why not Japan?
“I could have done the same research in Japan, but there I wouldn’tget paid for my PhD research. That’s one reason I chose Holland, although it doesn’t fit with my belief in the Oriental saying, ‘Everything is nothing and nothing is everything’. If you rid yourself of all temptations%%for money, a big house and car%%you become what it’s all about. I guess I’m probably more Western than I thought, but doing a Western study in a Western society has benefited me as well.”
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