Bioscience Faculty position outside the US

Given the ongoing deterioration of living and working conditions for US scientists in faculty positionsm more and more scientists in the US have asked me what are the options elsewhere, especially in Europe. Here is my latest answer to one of them:

Concerning research in Europe:

I think there is a north->south degradation of conditions. Research in Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and maybe Finland seems ok. Especially Germany seems to do quite well, however obtaining permanent positions is very very difficult. But especially in the former eastern (and now nice) part of Germany (Leipzig, Dresden) there appear to be quite some openings. UK had some certain reductions in funding, but might still be an option. In general, the higher (full-professor) positions in Europe/UK are not as well paid as in the US, but the annex (hidden) costs of living are cheaper (health care, child care, education). However salaries in Norway and Switzerland should be high, however cost of living is extremely high too, so it balances out. Swiss is a great option, if you manage to find a position there (difficult!). Positions are well paid, and it seems that Switzerland funding success rate is around 40 %. As an insider's tip, there is Austria. Austria has been a bid 'hidden' internationally, but has some good research going on, and appears to have openings in bioscience. In particular in some institute in Vienna, maybe the IMBA, but need to check.

France is going down, steadily. A few research positions are open each year, but the salaries are appalling, funding is difficult, and governmental support for research is crumbling. Also you need to be somehow connected to a lab in France to have the necessary support. However, there are a few good places to do research in France, so if you are desperate…

Science in Spain, Italy, Portugal is on a highway to hell.

If you would still consider other countries, I can suggest Australia (still good funding available) and maybe New Zealand (low salaries but also low cost of living). If you are more adventurous: South Korea. If you don't mind heat: Middle East. Qatar is still building up new institutes with huge amounts of investments. And there is KAUST in Saudi Arabia.

You could also consider South Africa (Cape Town, I'D say.).

good luck!

Reductionism, Globalization and Faith

Dear Dr. Malki,

I have read your book Reductionism, Globalization and Faith with much joy and relief. The world needs people like you and your co-author Robert Stucky who are strong, dedicated and didactic advocates for a religion and faith that unifies, rather than divides.

Your text uses historic, logical, religious and scientific arguments to establish the Oneness of all of us, and all our expressions of faith and spirituality, under one God. By eloquently establishing that a reductionist interpretation of spirituality is in contradiction with the very basis of every religion, your essay chiefly refutes spiritual discrimination.

Why do we still need such books? Isn’t this openness, oneness, love and respect already clearly at the heart of all holy scriptures, and hasn’t this message been echoed ever since by a multitude of persons of all faiths? Isn’t the reconnection of all of us with this love and oneness the very goal of all religions? 

If so, how can it be explained that someone can very strictly follow the prescriptions of a religion, yet still no understand? Could the same type of persons read your book, and use it as a rational proof for the superiority of a strict monotheism over other religions which include veneration of multiple gods and/or statues or trees? Can even your book be used to divide?

How can so many believe that the greatness of God can never fully and satisfactorily be expressed in human words, yet be ready to kill or lose their own life in order to increase the number of persons who use their specific words for God?

As you recall in your book, a religion should show us the way to reconnect with the reality we call God. Why do the world’s religions fail for so many of their followers?

One of the prophets said ‘the beginning of the way [to God] is love and goodness’.  Most of us, however, are filled with fear, anger and frustration. We don’t understand ourselves, and hence we cannot understand God. But we can easily be misguided, and never notice that we are not on the route to God. How can we learn to understand and accept ourselves, how can we get ready to find God? An obvious answer would be by doing what all prophets have done—don’t follow prevailing misconceptions blindly, but mediate and seek relentlessly for yourself. Again, this is no secret, so we all could do it. However this spiritual path is long, requires relentless effort and awareness, and ultimately has to be found and walked by each of us on our own. Your book, and your actions, are a very valuable guide to motivate us to discover and proceed along this way. Thank you!

regards

BLT

The critical state of scientists-when do we jump?

You certainly know the image of the frog, that you can place in cold water. If you heat the water slowly, the frog will not jump out of the water, until it dies.
That is the current state of scientists in most countries, and especially in so-called first-world countries. The water has been heating up slowly for about 20 years, and is now hot enough to be life threatening. Following 6-10 years of working as underpaid graduate students or post-docs, most find no jobs, and have to drop out or convert to another profession. Those lucky scientists who obtained a faculty position now spend typically 60++ hours at work each week-but not because exciting research, but because of the permanent threat to lose everything if they do not find the next funding for their research. Facing a <6 --="" --not="" a="" almost="" and="" angst="" applications="" can="" certainly="" creativity="" does="" for="" grant="" innovate.="" live="" money="" most="" needed="" never="" not="" over="" p="" permanent="" rate="" scientific="" searching...="" stimulate="" stop="" success="" the="" to="" truth.="" we="" which="" with="" work="">As governmental funding is being reduced each year, or being only attributed to particular areas, we need to search for funds from industry sources. Although funding should not dictate the outcome of a study (but sometimes it does, just to assure that funding continues...), funding dictates the focus of our research. Hence, subjects that are of no value, or of harm, to the funding body will not be subject to scrutiny. As science loses its independent voice for the good of humankind, scientists feel increasingly frustrated for having become salesman of science. We're burned out, disillusioned, frustrated, panicked. But we don't jump. We still love science, and most importantly, we have nowhere to jump on to.
In the meantime, all those 'first world' countries slowly lose the scientific advantage they had for the last century. Without innovation and technology, there is no sustainable future. 

The World's End?

All day and night, music,
a quiet and bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.

Rumi
(transl. C. Barks)