Friday, August 03, 2007
Math myth
A related myth in mathematics, which we hear every so often, goes something like this: "Jobs were tight in the early 1970s and then the market improved. It's a cyclic business and the market will get better again soon." Many of us no longer have faith in this myth, for reasons we will explain below, and we believe that mathematics departments should reconsider their missions. In particular, they should consider "downsizing" their graduate programs and re-examine the education provided in graduate school so that it more closely fits the reality of what our graduates will be doing in the future. Some group I universities, such as the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Michigan, have already started this process.
Many long-term economic, political, academic, historical, and technical issues indicate that the current downturn in full-time tenured employment of new young mathematicians is not likely to be reversed in the next decade. Even though you are aware of them all individually, it may be useful to consider them in totality and ponder their impact on mathematics. Our purpose is to state our reasons for our views without claiming to own a crystal ball.
First, the abrupt end of the cold war eliminated many compelling requirements for advanced R&D along with the organizations and staff supporting weapons development. Sizable rollbacks now exist at national labs and high-tech aerospace, electronic and design companies which for decades welcomed and employed many mathematicians, engineers and scientists. Displaced, highly qualified, mid-career individuals are entering the civilian economy on both sides of the (former) iron curtain. For thousands of them, their option will be to compete with new graduates for teaching positions at all educational levels. Overall, this is a healthy development because mathematics has always been a world-wide activity that has largely ignored artificial national boundaries, but there's no denying the impact on the current and future U.S. job market.
Many long-term economic, political, academic, historical, and technical issues indicate that the current downturn in full-time tenured employment of new young mathematicians is not likely to be reversed in the next decade. Even though you are aware of them all individually, it may be useful to consider them in totality and ponder their impact on mathematics. Our purpose is to state our reasons for our views without claiming to own a crystal ball.
First, the abrupt end of the cold war eliminated many compelling requirements for advanced R&D along with the organizations and staff supporting weapons development. Sizable rollbacks now exist at national labs and high-tech aerospace, electronic and design companies which for decades welcomed and employed many mathematicians, engineers and scientists. Displaced, highly qualified, mid-career individuals are entering the civilian economy on both sides of the (former) iron curtain. For thousands of them, their option will be to compete with new graduates for teaching positions at all educational levels. Overall, this is a healthy development because mathematics has always been a world-wide activity that has largely ignored artificial national boundaries, but there's no denying the impact on the current and future U.S. job market.
// posted by Kritidas @ 2:58 AM 
