"A*Star scientist starts arts grant in protest against six-year bond - The Straits Times 25 November 2014
Meant to comment about this piece of news when I got back from the China on Tuesday 25 November 2014 but just could not find the time with so many urgent issues to resolve.
Now that I have cleared the 'urgent and important' matters, I turned my attention to this news as I find it intriguing. No doubt my curiosity is fanned by the very disturbing, to me if not to most people, piece of reasoning by this A*Star PhD scholar, Dr Eng Kai Er, 30.
Depicting herself as the hapless victim of a scholarship bond and describing her scientific research as "narcissistic, masturbatory work" that she is not interested in, she wants to transfer her 6-year bond to the National Arts Council but was unsuccessful. Hence, she started this S$1000/month one-woman arts grant.
Her reasoning: 'Since she understand the pain of having a paid job that is not aligned with her interests, she wishes to change the world by having more instances of paid jobs aligned with people's interests!'
This is HOW I look at this situation:
1. she is obviously off-centre judging from her 'stripped and walked down lanes/roads around Holland Village 5 years ago with a Swedish exchange student stunt or behaviours'.
That she managed to complete her PhD despite not liking what she was studying is remarkable. Or that the university or institution where she did her PhD is just so light weight?
That she got to keep her PhD scholarship after that stunt 5 years ago also tell that her supervisors or scholarship providers have a very high regards for her 'intellectual capabilities'? Or they are just too soft-hearted and indecisive?
It seems that she is depicting herself as the hapless victim of a scholarship bond and describing her scientific research as "narcissistic, masturbatory work" that she is not interested in is shocking. Not just the way she feel but also the language she uses, if true!
So, not sure how A*Star can do to check her mental stage.
2. She wants to do arts. She is a dancer-choreographer and directed a play recently with The Substation Theatre. She is obviously multi-talented.
Question is: SHOULD she aim HIGHER? Can she NOT be like Leonardo Da Vinci who is a scientist, scholar, artist, thinker, inventor and more?
3. it will be interesting to find out WHY did she take up the A*Star PhD Research Scholarship in the first place? Was it a change of mind and heart along the journey? Did she try to get out? OR she was just enjoying the more than S$700k scholarship that allowed her to travel and do things and go places she otherwise could not have afforded?
This is critical as if she was just milking the system, it is hardly right for her to cry faults now.
4. She supposedly studied at Cambridge University before going to the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute. She can study for sure. Question is: when did she find out her interests have totally changed?
5. what would I do with her IF I am her supervisor, let's leave her parents alone as she is 30 years old and nothing the parents had done in her formative years could have help here.
It depends on a few things:
a. is she 'matured'? If she is and she still want to focus on arts, let her be! Set the precedence BUT be firm on how you arrived at the decision to allow her to switch bond to National Arts Council. When another exceptional request comes to you, you just have to deal with it with NO REFERENCE to this so-called 'precedence'!
Also, does she acknowledged that if the switch is granting, she has taken EVEN MORE from the nation! Why? The S$700+ could have been invested in another talent who are a lot more interested in research study and work! What can she contribute in the National Arts Council?;
b. if she is immature, she has to learn to PAY her price for mistakes made in life. There are intangible thing known as: honour, duties and obligation. Only through some painful experiences can she develop to appreciate you don't just bite the hands that feed you. There will be retribution even if you think you can live alone without needing anyone else on the face of this Earth! The ULTIMATE TRUTH is: human being needs fellow human being. At least the sane ones!
May she find her peace. The inner peace as her inner world cannot be peaceful given what she had revealed thus far.
Meant to comment about this piece of news when I got back from the China on Tuesday 25 November 2014 but just could not find the time with so many urgent issues to resolve.
Now that I have cleared the 'urgent and important' matters, I turned my attention to this news as I find it intriguing. No doubt my curiosity is fanned by the very disturbing, to me if not to most people, piece of reasoning by this A*Star PhD scholar, Dr Eng Kai Er, 30.
Depicting herself as the hapless victim of a scholarship bond and describing her scientific research as "narcissistic, masturbatory work" that she is not interested in, she wants to transfer her 6-year bond to the National Arts Council but was unsuccessful. Hence, she started this S$1000/month one-woman arts grant.
Her reasoning: 'Since she understand the pain of having a paid job that is not aligned with her interests, she wishes to change the world by having more instances of paid jobs aligned with people's interests!'
This is HOW I look at this situation:
1. she is obviously off-centre judging from her 'stripped and walked down lanes/roads around Holland Village 5 years ago with a Swedish exchange student stunt or behaviours'.
That she managed to complete her PhD despite not liking what she was studying is remarkable. Or that the university or institution where she did her PhD is just so light weight?
That she got to keep her PhD scholarship after that stunt 5 years ago also tell that her supervisors or scholarship providers have a very high regards for her 'intellectual capabilities'? Or they are just too soft-hearted and indecisive?
It seems that she is depicting herself as the hapless victim of a scholarship bond and describing her scientific research as "narcissistic, masturbatory work" that she is not interested in is shocking. Not just the way she feel but also the language she uses, if true!
So, not sure how A*Star can do to check her mental stage.
2. She wants to do arts. She is a dancer-choreographer and directed a play recently with The Substation Theatre. She is obviously multi-talented.
Question is: SHOULD she aim HIGHER? Can she NOT be like Leonardo Da Vinci who is a scientist, scholar, artist, thinker, inventor and more?
3. it will be interesting to find out WHY did she take up the A*Star PhD Research Scholarship in the first place? Was it a change of mind and heart along the journey? Did she try to get out? OR she was just enjoying the more than S$700k scholarship that allowed her to travel and do things and go places she otherwise could not have afforded?
This is critical as if she was just milking the system, it is hardly right for her to cry faults now.
4. She supposedly studied at Cambridge University before going to the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institute. She can study for sure. Question is: when did she find out her interests have totally changed?
5. what would I do with her IF I am her supervisor, let's leave her parents alone as she is 30 years old and nothing the parents had done in her formative years could have help here.
It depends on a few things:
a. is she 'matured'? If she is and she still want to focus on arts, let her be! Set the precedence BUT be firm on how you arrived at the decision to allow her to switch bond to National Arts Council. When another exceptional request comes to you, you just have to deal with it with NO REFERENCE to this so-called 'precedence'!
Also, does she acknowledged that if the switch is granting, she has taken EVEN MORE from the nation! Why? The S$700+ could have been invested in another talent who are a lot more interested in research study and work! What can she contribute in the National Arts Council?;
b. if she is immature, she has to learn to PAY her price for mistakes made in life. There are intangible thing known as: honour, duties and obligation. Only through some painful experiences can she develop to appreciate you don't just bite the hands that feed you. There will be retribution even if you think you can live alone without needing anyone else on the face of this Earth! The ULTIMATE TRUTH is: human being needs fellow human being. At least the sane ones!
May she find her peace. The inner peace as her inner world cannot be peaceful given what she had revealed thus far.
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