COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Information Seminar on

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology Information Seminar on How to Select a Ph. D Advisor? Date: June 02, 2017 Day & Time: Friday 10: 00 am Venue: Old Senate Hall Organized by COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Vehari Campus Seminar Series on Study Abroad

Ph. D advisor is the most important person in someone’s academic and research career

Supervisor and his responsibilities § Giving guidance on research – usually strong guidance in selecting topic § Being accessible to student when advice needed § Giving advice on scheduling of successive stages of the work § Arranging for the student to talk about their research § Ensuring that the student is made aware of inadequacy of progress or of standards of work below that generally expected

§ Why is it important to select a supervisor? § What traits do we need in a supervisor? – Good scientist • Someone who is doing good science – Good mentor

How to find a good scientist? § Pub. Med them – Quality of research – Number of research articles § § § Find their H-index Ask for advisor’s CV Ask senior faculty and his students Winner of any distinguished scientific award Have funding

How to find a good mentor? § § § Avoids scientific trivial questions Ask his trainees Has lot of students Check his trainees list Acknowledges his students

Good mentor help students. . § § § Formulate good questions Formulate good experiments Create a happy lab environment Give good talks and write good research papers Independent and confidant over time

Finding a supervisor on the basis of their careers Young faculty advisors § Advantages – Enthusiastic and energetic – Have links with their advisors – Tend to be web savvy – Are more active in recruiting students – Work alongside their students

§ Disadvantages – Demands a lot from their students – High expectations from their students – Suffer early burn out – Tend to stick to their graduate research – Tend to underestimate the time

Mid-Career faculty advisors § Advantages – Are at the peak of their research performance – Achieved recognition – Have strong circle of contacts – Administrative roles

§ Disadvantages – Often networking at conferences – Sabbatical leaves away from group – Dominate research ideas and projects

Senior faculty advisors § Advantages – Long track record of research – Achieved significant recognition – Alumni from their research group – Personal connections with industry – Have strong collaborations – On editorial boards of many journals

§ Disadvantages – Close to retirement – Lack of energy and enthusiasm – Out of touch with the lab – May have arrogant behaviour – Out of touch with career issues

Questions you might ask a potential supervisor § § § Project Supervisory style Expectations Funding Track record

Questions you might ask the former students of the potential advisor § Supervisory style § Expectations § experience

Always hope for the best but prepare for the worst

Thanks