Life after Ph D
Dr S G Deshmukh
ABV-Indian Institute of Information
Technology & Management, Gwalior
Outline
• Expectations from Ph D
• My career path
• Observations and Insights
• Changing nature of Research
• Recent trends and Observations
• Concluding remarks
"To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.“
- Chinese proverb
Life evolves (or matures !!)
• Being a doctoral student is like becoming all
of the Seven Dwarves. In the beginning
you're Dopey and Bashful. In the middle, you
are usually sick (Sneezy), tired (Sleepy), and
irritable (Grumpy). But at the end, they call
you Doc, and then you're Happy."
Objectives of Ph D Programme at
IITB • The broad objectives of the
Ph.D. programme is not only to keep pace with the expanding frontiers of knowledge but also to provide research training relevant to the present social and economic objectives of the country.
• The academic programme leading to the Ph.D. degree is broad based and involves a minimum course credit requirement and research thesis.
Expectations at Doctoral level
(QAA, 2001)
• Creation and interpretation of new knowledge
– Through original research, or other advanced scholarship
– Of a quality to satisfy peer review and merit publication
• Systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial
body of knowledge
• At the forefront of an academic discipline or area of
professional practice
• Conceptualise, design and implement a project for the
generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding
• Detailed understanding of applicable techniques for
research and advanced academic enquiry
Why Phd: Ground reality
• Cosmetics !
• Promotion & Career Advancement
• Build, “Think Tank”
• Academic Recognition & Team building
• R&D in Industry
• Promotion of Science & Technology
• Problem Solving
• Export of Expertise
• Learning to work out to minimize efforts to do a
task/job
Driving forces & Sources of Ideas
Driving Forces behind
Ph D
• Interest
• Market forces
• Status
• Recognition
• Dream
• Fire & Spark !!
Sources of Ideas
• Lab
• Library
• Computer
• Internet
• Industry
• Mistakes done in past
Skills developed during Ph D at
IITB • Ph D in Industrial Engineering & OR :
Interdisciplinary programme
• Technical skills : Subject matter
(Optimization)
• Ability to ask questions
• Ability to work independently
• Soft skills: Communication, team work,
perseverance , tenacity
Passport to life after Ph D
certificate
Insights
• Ph D is a prima facie evidence that now you can
do research on your own !
Prof Kripa Shanker, My Ph D examiner
– 20 Mar 1989
Ph.D. is the beginning, not the culmination, of
your career. Don't worry about making it your
magnum opus. Get out sooner, rather than
later.
Enabling agents during Ph D
• Role of supervisor (My supervisor : Prof A Subash Babu) : Extremely important : Friend , Philosopher & Guide !
• Role of the peers : Provide technical and emotional support system , act as buffer
• Role of the Institute (IITB) : Enabling environment, Research driven culture, spirit of inquiry
• Role of family: Much beyond that is written in “Acknowledgement” of the thesis: Acts as motivator, source of inspiration, and catalyst
Life spent after Ph D
• In academics
• At various institutes : IGIDR, IITD, IITB,
IIITM
– IGIDR : Economics Research institute
– IITD/IITB : Teaching, Research and
Consulting
– IIITM: IT institute synergizing IT &
Management
My career
• B Tech (1982) and M Tech (1984) at IITB
• Ph.D. IIT Bombay 1989 • Thesis : Evaluation of Effectiveness of a Class of Integrated
Procurement-Production Systems ( IIT Bombay)
• Joined Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai 1988-1990 as Assistant Professor
• Joined IIT Delhi as Assistant Professor in 1990
• At IIT Bombay during 1996-97 on lien from IITD in SOM
• Professor at IIT Delhi since 2000
• At ABV-IIITM Gwalior as Director from 2008- till date
How my career has evolved ?
• Beginning: – Optimization and search algorithms for integrated procurement-
production system
• Later: – Logical reasoning, mathematical and numerical solutions for
wide range of large scale problems (Power grid, large scale Supply chain models, systems etc.)
• Now: – trend continues, but now with integration with emphasis on more
“managing people” activities as well
• Still spend 30% of my time defining and solving models/algorithms/defining & refining processes
• By choice
• –The fun part: using mathematical models to find answers that people actually care about : IT as an enabler !
Life after Ph D : Teaching
• Designed and developed various courses
at UG and PG level
• Rich experience in teaching IIT students :
Keeping you on toes !
• Developed pedagogy based on IT (multi-
media, web enabled courses), developed
courses in NPTEL
Insights
• Teaching is dead ! Long live teaching !!
• Learning is important !!
• Getting attention of Y-generation students
–A challenge
• Participative and involved teaching
Emerging Research Paradigm • Easy availability of computational power
• Accessibility to software tools
• Interdisciplinary character of research
• More emphasis on funded research (agencies
like DST, DIT, CSIR etc.)
• Demanding industry needs
• Enhanced Institute-industry interaction
• Networking of institutes /R&D labs enabled by
web
• Collaborative research
Teaching-Research–Consulting-
Training Cycle
Teaching
Training
Consulting
Research
Sponsored Research &
Consultancy
• An opportunity for technology transfer
– Example: CAFIMS(Computer Aided Factory
Integration Management System): A
collaborative project between IITD, IITB,
ECIL,and Sumeet (Sponsored by DIT)
– Lean Management System (Sponsored by
DST) with industry partners : a ground for
learning and consolidation
Consulting
• Optimization Problem : Integration of
Regional electricity grids (World Bank):
INGRID Model (based on GAMS)
• Capacity Expansion Problem : (Bhrati
Telecom)
• Integrated Procurement –Production-
Distribution Problem (Apollo Tyres)
• 3-D cutting stock Problem (Nucleus
software )
Insights : Consulting
• Migration from problem phase to solution
phase to implementation phase : an
interesting journey
• Conceptual, Analytical and Design skills
• Language barrier !
• Problems are just problems- Without any
labels: Ph d helps you in developing a
particular perspective to look at them!!
Consulting assignment :Existing Supply
Chain of XYZ
F01 ……. F04
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1 2 30 47 60 80 98
Fig 1(a) : Existing Distribution network model of XYZ
Plants
RDC’s
DO’s
Proposed SC based on
TRANSHIPMENT model
F01 ……. F04
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 2 30 47 60 80 98
Plants
RDC’s
DO’s
Fig 1(b) : Proposed distribution network model of XYZ
Challenges faced
• Dealing with a very progressive and professionally managed groups : demanding client !
• Tight time lines and Great degree of coordination and interfacing required
• Creativity/innovation and out-of-the-box thinking required in implementing solutions !
• Research driven by industry needs !
• Problem solving led to development of new algorithms and solution procedures
Teaching & Research
:Outcomes
Career Insights
• Prepare: learn your subject deeply
–Learn how to train yourself; keep learning; be open to suggestions and ideas
• Practice communication and teamwork
• Use IT in as an enabler , collaborate and network (web sites, …)
• For corporate: understand the business (es)
• Career paths (IITD and IIITM G)
–Technical (keep teaching, research and consulting)
–Project leader (management as well as technical)
–Manager (manage Processes, Projects and People)
What I did ?
• Learned my subject
• Discovered that I loved it
• Took a few risks
– Joined IGIDR (a Development Economics Institute) in
its inception stages
– Did large scale modeling and policy studies
– Experience at IITD (well established system) in its
maturity stage
– Experience at SOM (1996-97) in its inception stages
– Experience at IIITM (2008-) in its growing stage !
What I might have done differently
• My beginnings: appalling naivety–Should
have found more professional contacts at
start at IITB/IGIDR
• Could have used /developed more
background in–Commercialization of
inventions–; patenting know-how –Project
management/ teamwork
Satisfying part ?
• First paper: IIIE conference in Kolkata in 1984
(based on M Tech thesis)
• First paper rejected by International J of
Production Economics : 1985
• First international journal paper published in
PPC: 1987
• First consultancy assignment completed: 1993
• First Ph D student (Dr K V S Rao) : 1994
• First second generation Ph D (Ph d of my Ph d
student) : 1999
• First book published : 2001
Today’s Reality :
Technology driven flat world !
• Single location
• Single utility
• Any location
• Not only telephone,
but a device to
connect to the
world
Trend 1: Shelf life
• Interconnected world: Millions of ideas
getting generated, developed and
disseminated
• Faster publishing cycle
• Web enabled submission, review and
publication process
Trend 2: Digitization of research
outcome
Research Impact: Web of
Knowledge
Quality of Research based on Citation
Report : Scopus /web of science
• Total citations: 784
• Average citations :4.87
• H-Index: 15
Authors Title Journal Total citation Average Citations Per year
Suresh Pvs, Rao PV,
Deshmukh SG
A Genetic Algorithmic Approach
for Optimization of Surface
Roughness Prediction Model
International
Journal Of Machine
Tools &
Manufacture 42(6)
, 675-680, 2002
67 7.44
Trend 3: Collaboration ! • Sharing of information
• Institutional
collaboration
• Professional networks
• Social networks
Observations…
• Ideas are not limiting factor: usually time is !
• Avoid Tunnel Vision Plan for long-term, beyond immediate
research area
• It takes considerable time to design a research program
• Envision Outcomes – Difference that research can make,
– significant papers produced,
– credited with solution to important problem
Guide to Ph.D. Students :IITian Style !!
When you don’t know what you are doing,
do it neatly. Experience is directly proportional to the
quantity of equipment ruined or destroyed. In case of doubt, make it sound convincing.
Don’t believe in miracles, rely on them.
Teamwork is essential, it allows you
to blame someone else.
Suggestion !
•Always remember that
the secret of success is
passion.
•Always think big. Spread
love & joy.
•You'll have blissful years
ahead
• Always remember that the secret of good
professionalism is passion.
• Always think big. You'll have blissful years
of research ahead
Research is the path you choose, the
road you build and destination you set.
Motivator
• Greetings received
from students
• Marriage/birthday
invitations from
students
Research
- Sponsored
- Student Guidance
Consulting
Extension
Outreach
Teaching
Life After Ph D
Thank you
very much ! [email protected]
Credits
• Prof S P Sukhatme
• Prof Subash Babu
• Prof Kirit Parikh
• Prof Prem Vrat
• Prof R P Mohanty
• Dr M N Buch KV S Rao, Dixit Garg,
Murlidhar, R K Singh, R Shanker
G Dangayach, R Dalu, Arshinder,
Vipul, Jitesh, Tripta, Jyoti, Amik
and others