‘PHD-life is isolating’

WHO IS SYLVIE SOUDARISSANANE?
Sylvie Soudarissanane started her PhD research at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering in 2007. Originally, her contract was to end in March, but last February she was involved in a bike accident, in which she broke a spine bone and was confined to bed for four months. She only got back to work in September and is now aiming to graduate in September 2011. Soudarissanane is researching how laser scanners that measure distances can be made more accurate. A laser scanner measures millions of distances within five minutes, and can make a 3D model of an entire building within a day. “This tool is very valuable for civil engineers and architects, but also for aerospace models or forensics. A pretty cool application is used by the Rotterdam police to compute the trajectory of bullets based on the blood spatter.” Measurements are accurate up to a few millimetres. Soudarissanane already has some publications that show that the accuracy can improve. After her PhD she wants to continue conducting research. “I’m making a ‘to do’ list and a ‘not to do’ list: subjects that I need to have a look at, but not now.” 

Why should PhDs become members of Promood?
“I came to Delft in 2007, and discovered Promood in 2009 at the first career event. They were recruiting new members. Before that, I did not know about Promood and was surprised that I had never received any information about them. I took part in it immediately, because I was very isolated and did not know any other PhDs. We PhDs are working hard at becoming experts in our fields, and that is an isolated job. We tend to repeat that same pattern in social life. We do not know how to meet other PhDs.”

That sounds pretty lonely.
“Yes, but that is being a PhD. It’s hard to make friends, because unlike Master’s students, PhDs aren’t part of a group. Luckily these days, TU Delft provides a PhD introduction. When I came here in March 2007, my supervisor told me: this is your subject, these are the papers you can read, and you have to finish your first article by the end of July. That was pretty intense. But by the end of July I had my first publication, and by the end of that year the second. I had to work really hard; I was fully into the PhD. And I could be because there was no social interaction, and there were no general lectures I had to attend.”

That doesn’t sound very healthy.
“No, it does not. I worked 60 hours a week.”

TU Delft is establishing a graduate school, which, among other things, is intended to help PhD students graduate, because right now about 40 percent of PhDs never do graduate. That is a lot.
“Yes, but in other universities it’s no different. It’s also quite common to graduate in five or six years. Many PhDs don’t have the right tools to fix that. The first year they are just lost. They don’t know how to do a literature review and they must find out what the aim of their PhD work is. Is it to publish, or is it to finish something innovative? Also, remember, there are lots of different PhDs – 2,000 of us at TU Delft, and only half are here fulltime. A lot PhDs work in companies. Often they lose their interest. But every case is different.”

It’s often suggested that better supervision would help.
“You should be able to work without a supervisor. For the most part, a supervisor is merely there to help you focus. PhDs drop out because they lose their motivation. Graduate school will hopefully give them some tools to cope with that, but supervisors can help. And to emphasize this, Promood will appoint the PhD supervisor of the year for the first time this November. It’s a good thing that the graduate school also provides courses for supervisors, because there is no regulation on how they should behave. PhDs often complain about a lack of supervision and about pressure not being put in the right focus. A supervisor might pressure a PhD into doing too many student projects, for example. The time slot is 75 percent research, 25 percent other things. Some supervisors try to push it towards a 50-50 rate.”

Why don’t PhDs just say no when they are given too much work?
“You say that because you’re Dutch. That’s the point. So many PhDs are shy, and it’s not in their culture to go to their boss and say: ‘I’m not going to do that’. A Chinese student, for instance, will always say yes. But if that student learns in a course that here he can say no, he will be aware of it. He probably still will not say no, but maybe he’ll suggest an alternative.”

All these things will be part of the graduate school. They seem very beneficial.
“They are. Our only concern is the balance between bringing knowledge and forcing it on PhDs. We all have different levels, because we all come from different schools and cultures. For instance, a Chinese student is likely to have difficulty with English and with the culture, but will be very good at mathematics. A French student will have less difficulty fitting in
socially and will not be offended by people eating cheese in the morning, let’s say, while a Chinese will find that shocking. They will have to adapt. I’m French, and even for me it was shocking to see people eating homemade bread for lunch. And they’re done eating in 20 minutes, whereas in France lunch break is two hours.”

Do you think foreign PhDs must adopt Dutch habits?
“It’s different for everybody, but I try to integrate in a new country. I think it’s the only way to meet Dutch people. If you don’t eat a sandwich with your colleagues at lunch, you isolate yourself. After I graduate I don’t want to go back to France. I studied in Sweden and now in the Netherlands. Swedish and Dutch hierarchy values are more fitting to my own than the French. Here my boss, my technician and I can talk on the same level. In France I have to say ‘vous’ to my boss and ‘tu’ to the technician.”

So now you make your sandwiches in the morning as well?
“Yes, with cheese. Maybe it helps that I have a Dutch husband. Even still, if you don’t make the effort, you stay in your own circle. Many PhDs are from Asia, and it’s very difficult for them to make that sandwich, to integrate at lunch. They have their own community here, they stick together, and it’s easier for them to talk their own language, to eat their own food and to meet people that are familiar with their habits. They have social interaction, but they don’t integrate in the country they are studying in for four years. When I came here there was no information, so I paid my own Dutch courses. My section had no money for it, but I didn’t know that human recourses did. To the new students, that is the first thing I say: if you want to stay here, you have to learn Dutch, and TU Delft is providing you with these courses.”

Approximately 60 percent of all PhD students don’t pursue scientific careers. Can you explain why?
“Here in Holland being a PhD means you want to be an academic, you want to teach and to do research in a university environment. People from many other countries often do PhD research to become an expert, and once they are, they go back to their companies. Also, TU Delft doesn’t advertise the academic world very well. PhDs can continue on as postdocs or teachers, but often they don’t know what their possibilities are.”

What is Promood planning to do this academic year?
“We want to improve two kinds of communication. Firstly, the horizontal communication between PhDs. For this purpose, Promood will strive to be more present. We will organise more activities, communicate what is new and improve our website, newsletters and flyers. It’s compulsory that all PhDs know about Promood and the things we organise, like the printers’ market, career event, social events…. Secondly, the vertical communication between PhDs and higher TU levels, like the administration and supervisors. When a PhD complains to us about his supervisor, for instance, we pass on the message to people we happen to know in the university. But there is no official path, and that has to be improved. I’m going to appoint a team of two people who will investigate how this is to be done.”

Can you go to the Executive Board and demand change?
“It doesn’t work that way, because we’re not an official representative body within TU Delft. We are an organisation by PhDs, for PhDs. But of course, if there is a problem, we will find ways to let the university know. Take housing, for instance. So many people are searching, but they hardly know how to. The university provided them with a house for one year, but they need a place to stay for four years. If they don’t really want to search, or don’t know how to, they end up with crappy stuff and have to move quite often. This has to improve.”  

Any other plans?
“We will try to make a summary of the doctoral regulation, which is a big and important document, but nobody reads it. And we will keep on asking the university to shorten the waiting time for a graduation date. PhDs often have to wait three or four months, and that is a big problem.”

Come the October monsoons and all of India goes into a frenzy of festive activity. Queen of the Indian festivals is Diwali – the Festival of Light. It’s the time of home renovations, new clothes, colour, fire-crackers and infinitely indulgent sweets with family and friends. The whole country becomes one humongous party!
In celebration of this festival, last Sunday TU Delft’s Indian Student Association (ISADelft) hosted a full-blown Diwali Party of its own at the Cultural Centre. The program began with Vande Maatram, an Indian national song, followed by a variety of performances by TU Delft students, alumni and friends, including a mini-musical about ‘unity in diversity’. Given India’s many languages, religions and cultures, this democratic maxim is an integral part of the Indian social mindset.
The musical was followed by three TU Delft Desi boys rocking out to a super Bollywood hit number. Keeping the heat going, this dance was followed by a presentation about the Festival of Light and a break for spicy ethnic snacks and tangy sauces.
Next came a performance by TU Delft student and magician, Aravind Jayashankar, who showed off his mind-reading prowess to a crowd already under the influence of all the heady colours and rhythms. His trick that took the audience’s breath away involved two volunteers from the crowd: one sat on a stool with his eyes closed, while the other stood next to Aravind across the room. Aravind patted the shoulder of the volunteer standing next to him, and this was felt by the volunteer sitting far away on the stool, who was truly dumbfounded when Aravind told him that nobody had actually touched him, as witnessed by the audience.
Then came another scintillating Bollywood dance performance, this time by six couples dressed in ethnic Kashmiri outfits. The only cultural performance of the night was up next – a traditional east Indian dance performance to Desi beats. Finally, a fashion show saw couples on the catwalk flaunting styles and outfits from different parts of India.  
The performances ended with the playing of the Indian National Anthem, followed by a dance party, with a DJ playing rhythms that brought out the true Indian spirit of celebration. An unforgettable festival for those in attendance, and for those who were not, we hope to see you next year at Diwali ‘10!