National Academies Press: OpenBook
« Previous: 14 Training Grants in the Chemical and Biological Sciences
Suggested Citation:"Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2000. Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century: Report of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9898.
×

Closing Remarks

Robert L. Lichter, The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation: Workshops have an interesting dynamic. No matter what their length, the last half of the last session is always the one at which people look at the clock. It’s a natural response, even at this one where we are still on schedule.

First, I want to thank all of you for participating. As we said at the beginning, the success and vitality of the workshop would depend on your participation, a responsibility you fulfilled wonderfully. Indeed, your energy stood in marked contrast to the total silence I observed yesterday morning at the registration, a silence that we knew would not be sustained once the workshop was under way. You presented a variety of perspectives, which were discussed and debated energetically. There were a lot of sidebar conversations, always a sign of active engagement. The expressions of concern, even about the organization of the workshop itself, were forthright. Some of it was discomfiting, which is all to the good: we all learn from that experience. We talked about many issues and did not talk about others, such as the balance of professional and personal priorities, particularly for graduate students and young academic and industrial scientists. I can’t help but comment on the notion of “customers” that was raised. I’m convinced that the number of definitions of “customer” maps directly onto the number of people who give the definition.

The question, of course, is What happens next? In the short term—about six months from now—a published proceedings will appear. In addition, we hope that you will examine how those thoughts, perspectives, and activities that were presented here and to which you have resonated may be realized in your own settings.

But the more difficult question is, What happens in the long term? A number of young scientists are here—graduate students, faculty members, and industrial scientists. Twenty years from now, will they be where we are, not merely looking at the same questions, but looking at them for the same reasons? As at least one speaker pointed out, education is a vital, vibrant, always changing enterprise. But what kind of change will take place and in what ways? Will the same kinds of questions be raised over and over again? Who will be the agents for change and under what circumstances?

Many questions remain open, which is what we hoped would be a result of the workshop. All of you did your jobs—presenters, participants, the organizing committee, and the National Research Council staff. I want to thank all of you for coming and wish you a safe voyage home.

Suggested Citation:"Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2000. Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century: Report of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9898.
×

This page intentionally left blank.

Suggested Citation:"Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2000. Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century: Report of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9898.
×
Page 159
Suggested Citation:"Closing Remarks." National Research Council. 2000. Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century: Report of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/9898.
×
Page 160
Next: Appendix A List of Workshop Participants »
Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century: Report of a Workshop Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $50.00 Buy Ebook | $40.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences is a summary of the December 1999 workshop, "Graduate Education in the Chemical Sciences: Issues for the 21st Century." This workshop discussed the various features of graduate education in chemical science and technology. Using case histories and their individual experiences, speakers examined the current status of graduate education in the chemical sciences, identified problems and opportunities, and discussed possible strategies for improving the system. The discussion was oriented toward the goal of generating graduates who are well prepared to advance the chemical sciences in academia, government, and industry in the next 5 to 10 years.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    Switch between the Original Pages, where you can read the report as it appeared in print, and Text Pages for the web version, where you can highlight and search the text.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  9. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!