[Statistics show that academia is having difficulty finding jobs] Four causes are explained in detail.2 min read

You hear this kind of talk all the time at universities.

Conclusions,

There are four reasons for the intensifying competition for full-time positions in academia

These factors will be discussed in detail using the results of a national survey.

Causes of too much competition for full-time positions in academia

Cause #1: The number of Ph.D.s has increased significantly over the past half century.

The number of Ph.D. graduates has more than doubled since the 1980s.

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The following article provides more background on the historical background of this increase in Ph.

Cause 2: Doctoral students are strongly oriented toward academia.

In Japan, there is a deep-rooted orientation toward "wanting to do research in academia (become a university faculty member)" after completing a doctoral program.

Below are the results of a survey of master's and doctoral students regarding their career aspirations after completing their programs.

More than 62% of the doctoral students' career choices were "universities" and "public research institutions," with less than 20% of those who chose "companies.

In addition, looking at the percentage of PhDs among researchers in companies, Japan is very low compared to other countries.

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Cause #3: University faculty positions are not increasing for those who have completed their Ph.

Compared to the rapid increase in the number of PhDs, the number of young university faculty hired in academia has not increased. Compared to the rapid increase in the number of PhDs, the number of young university faculty hired in academia has not increased.

It's no wonder that university faculty positions are so fiercely contested.

Cause #4: Increased number of tenured university faculty positions

The competition is exploding for university faculty positions, but even those university facultyTerm of office."Increasingly, this is the case.

The group competing for the few university teaching posts includes not only doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, but also incumbent university faculty.

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Even if you win the fierce competition and become a university faculty member, you will have to find another post after your tenure.

In this current situation, only a few people can become university faculty immediately after completing their Ph.

The following is the result of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology on the pre-employment status of those hired as university faculty.

It is the red color that should be noted.

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Post-doctoral problems resulting from increased competition for university faculty positions

As we have shown, the competition for university faculty positions has jumped, and an increasing number of researchers are unable to find full-time positions immediately after completing their Ph.

suchThe number of post-doctoral fellows is now more than 1.5 million.The "M" in "M" is the number of people who are considered to be in the "M".

Summarizing the fact that many researchers are stuck in unstable post-doctoral positions for a long time, and also that post-doctoral positions are not well treated.The Post-Doctoral Problem."We call it.

Hiring freeze further exacerbates problem

Researchers hired on fixed-term contracts (e.g., university faculty, post-doctoral fellows, etc.) have been able to work at the same institution for long periods of time by repeatedly re-signing their contracts.

However, the "indefinite conversion rule"'If you have been employed for more than 10 years, you may apply for conversion to a non-tenured position.'policy went into effect in 2013, increasing the likelihood that universities and institutions will avoid hiring for more than 10 years of employment in order to avoid indefinite transfers.

In other words,It has become difficult to work at the same institution for a long period of time while renewing my term of office.That is to say.

The following article provides more information on the issue of hiring.

Concerns with the increase in post-doctoral and fixed-term positions

This type of precarious employment slowly erodes the researcher's spirit.

I heard that a tenured assistant professor has to submit 5 x 1sts in 2.5 years on a new theme to get an extension, and if he/she doesn't, he/she will be a post-doc and earn 2 million per year.
I can't have my self-esteem intact if I'm the one who died trying to get an M.D. and I'm getting paid less than the average undergrad." I can't maintain my self-esteem. I wonder if it's hell.

- Ashika (@AnuramanR) June 8, 2022

When I had tenure, I was like, "No, I'm relatively okay with it," and I didn't doubt it myself, but when I got a position with no tenure, I was like, "What? What? My shoulders are this light?" There was a great sense of psychological freedom.

- Akira Kanaoka (@akirakanaoka) April 28, 2022

In the precarious situation of tenure, you're trying to earn the accomplishments you need for your next job search.More studies with easy short-term results.This is also a problem that has been pointed out.

It means that it is hard to embark on a grand research project that will lead to a major human discovery.

How do you think about the post-doctoral issue?

Postdoctoral fellowship is a training period for researchers

Postdoctoral fellowships are increasingly being positioned as a training period for researchers, a path that anyone can take.

Now that the number of PhDs has increased rapidly, the ability of PhDs can also be said to be "in the ballpark".

（D. degrees (the criteria for awarding a doctoral degree vary from university to university, and there are some universities and departments where a doctoral degree is easier to obtain).

Researchers who have gained experience in multiple laboratories as post-doctoral fellows and are fully competentwithout a fixed termIt is a natural progression to be able to obtain a post as a university faculty member.

Aspects of a laboratory that cannot run without postdoctoral fellows

The existence of postdoctoral fellows is so appreciated in the management of the laboratory that "a laboratory cannot run without postdoctoral fellows.

Recently, university faculty members have been spending too much time on teaching and miscellaneous university duties, which sometimes prevents them from focusing on research activities.

Under these circumstances, it is not uncommon for postdoctoral fellows to play a major role in conducting research and supervising graduate students.

We should not forget that the development of science is underpinned by post-doctoral researchers.

Researchers need to decide whether to remain in academia or become corporate researchers

If you have any of these concerns, please continue reading below.

In living as a researcher,Deciding whether to pursue academia or become a corporate researcherThe following is a list of the most important factors that must be considered.

As you know, researchers work in three main types of environments.

	Number of researchers in the country*.	feature
University (Academia)	336,800 people	Both Research and Education
public research institution	38,200 people	Focus on research
business	515,500	Focus on research (Mainly activities with an eye to monetization through research and development)

Perhaps you have a prejudice that those who cannot remain in academia become corporate researchers?

The research environment differs in many respects between academia and corporate researchers.

The most significant difference is the difference in "research direction".

Companies need to generate their own profits by commercializing products and services more quickly.

Therefore, the emphasis is on basic research < applied and development research.

This has the advantage that more short-term goals are set, and a sense of accomplishment, etc. can be easily achieved.

There are many other differences, which are summarized in detail in this article>>>

Science Policy to Restore Attractiveness to Researchers

In order to overcome the current situation in which the attractiveness of scientists is said to have declined, various policies have been issued to support researchers.

Click here to learn a little more about postdocs.