8.27.2013

13

學分綁學生 台灣高教輸在國際觀
現任瑞典林雪平大學榮譽教授、我行政院科技顧問趙光安。 圖/成大能源科技與策略研究中心提供
「更適合台灣參考的,不是大國作法,而是歐洲二、三千萬人口以下的小國制度。」瑞典皇家科學院院士趙光安說著他對台灣教育的憂心。專長物理、主持歐盟十數個跨領域科研案的趙光安,現任瑞典林雪平大學榮譽教授,也是我行政院科技顧問,對國內科技及教育發展知之甚詳。他表示,台灣大學很多老師在美國讀博士時做什麼研究,回台後繼續同樣的研究、教學內容就是當年讀的學門,但這作法對嗎?
小國模式 人才在精不在多
趙光安說了個故事。十多年前,他參加國科會諮詢會議時被問到:「台灣的研究領域數目和美國一樣多,但人力是美國十分之一,研究資源是美國卅分之一。請問台灣如何與美國競爭?」
他的答案是:「台灣應按自己的想法發展方向,選卅分之一的研究領域,每個領域投入的資源和美國投入的相同,而投入的人力是美國投入的三倍」,這是歐洲小國和美國大國競爭的模式。
他表示,早年台灣產業發展就用過這種模式(譬如一九七四年孫運璿和李國鼎選定半導體,做為國家產業重點)。一九九六年實行教改前,臺灣除了台大外,其他各校皆各有特色,都是教研並重。今天台灣教研領導人,在學大國作法時,可否再思考一下歐洲的「小國自強」模式?
重點發展 誰說非要進百大
在北歐教學多年的趙光安解釋,包括瑞士、瑞典、芬蘭、挪威等人口和台灣相近的「小國」,是依國力和國家發展方向選定重點發展的領域。每一個領域只配屬給二、三所大學,每所大學都可以用整合重點領域的方法建立自己的特色。同時,政府也用經費分配誘導有共同重點領域的二、三所大學跨校合作。
五月公布的世界經濟體競爭力排行榜,瑞士第二名、瑞典和挪威也都擠入前十。趙光安表示,這些國家沒幾所大學,也不在乎是否進入世界百大排名,但大學都很清楚自己的任務,就是提供國家所需的人才。
趙光安指出,教育的主體是學生,可是他看到台灣卻完全相反;系所間門戶之見極深,用大量必修課把學生綁成系所財產,常把專業選修課也訂成必修課,甚至提高必修學分,學生幾乎無法選外系的課;不能擴展知識面,如何談跨領域學習、如何因應未來社會的需求?
五千教授 孵一半菁英就好
「用心找、早培養,才可能有源源不絕的人才。」趙光安表示,台灣應集中資源,讓五千個頂尖教授,每人每兩年收一個博士生盡心培養,如此每年產出的二千五百個博士一定是極優秀的,這是歐洲的人才培育模式。
「我在北歐任職講座教授,卅五年只培養了十七個博士。但台灣現在一年產出四、五千個博士,半數找不到工作。」趙光安說,瑞典僅九間大學,每年博士生產出比例比台灣少很多,為留住辛苦栽培的人才,博士生在瑞典是高薪的職業。
「台灣現在就能做的,是五年內把每年收的博士生,減到二千五百人。」他說,台灣的優質研究成果,大多數是出自十一所頂尖大學的專任教師(約九千人),教育部只要修改頂大計畫就能完成這項革新。
近幾年許多企業表示找不到人才,指責大學教育和產業脫節,政府高層有人即主張,要送台灣優秀學生到海外培養。趙光安說,這個主張等於承認台灣頂尖大學的教育方式不能培養人才。問題是:為什麼台灣不把改進研究生教育列為優先的工作,反而急著把人才往外送?而且就算外送的學生有成就以後願意回台灣,也是廿年以後的事。教改已經把台灣的頂尖人才培育拖累了將近廿年,台灣還能再等廿年嗎?
人物側寫/趙光安
     歐洲學術泰斗 主持百億計畫

趙光安出生於四川,八歲時舉家由上海遷到高雄,現為瑞典籍。台大物理系畢業,赴美拿到固態物理博士,曾在IBM Watson研究中心工作,一九七一年底被當時的諾貝爾獎委員會主席Lundqvist延攬到瑞典,之後和多位物理大師合作學習。
當年他由巴西回瑞典後,開始參與瑞典的科技策略規劃。一九八○年代中期,北歐五國(瑞典、丹麥、挪威、芬蘭、冰島)開始推動聯合科技研發計畫,趙光安不但參與規劃,並主持這項計畫長達十六年。
同一時期,歐盟也開始推動跨國研究計畫,目的是提高歐盟科技競爭力以對抗美、日,過去十年趙光安即督導其中十個跨領域的長程研發計畫,目前他還是另兩個歐盟整合計畫的「專家評鑑員」,這些計畫的經費總計近百億元台幣。
趙光安在歐洲學術地位崇高,但仍持續關注台灣教育、科技及產業狀況,不但學術界和產業經常請益,他目前也是行政院的科技顧問。
【2013/08/26】

as a reminder

from: http://vision.udn.com/storypage.jsp?f_ART_ID=1060

8.26.2013

12

I guess it's the end of something, and I have to let go of my emotions and move on. So I've decided to leave them here.

I still remember vividly the day I got the message from Dennis Chen saying "no.5, not bad! Treat us something nice?"  Well, it's been two years now, and I am in the middle of my college life, with only two years left. Looking back, I have to say that I've achieve several things, but not quite enough to meet my expectation. Getting into the school tennis team is something that I didn't see coming, but I really have to put more effort into it and hopefully to improve my skill into another level. Not applying for an exchange program is a really hard decision to make, and I still think I should've given it a try every now and then. However, I know that I have something else to do which is even more challenging, and there's only that much time left. Schoolwork has been......not satisfying. I really think it's time to find the rhythm and show them and myself that I am capable of managing those work nicely, or getting into a graduate school in the US, Canada or Europe will just be another meaningless daydream which is never going to be fulfilled.

It may sound a bit cliche, but seeing you all doing well in various fields and different places in the world really helps me settle my mind and recharge myself for the challenges in the future semester. Spending time chatting and gossiping around with you all is truly happy and I couldn't help imagining what our future will be like. It's not just a fun time but a precious piece of memory which for sure will last a long time. 

Oops, that's too much time spent on memories and thoughts related. I'm gonna have to go back to loads of documents about an earthquake in 2006 near Pingtung and try to understand the environment there and the tectonics of the fault. It may sound interesting to you, but trust me, it's bloody difficult.




8.24.2013

11

歡樂羽球團的早晨,精疲力竭但十分充實,好久不見的一起打球。
雖然我們都變了,大家臨時起意依然可以再相聚。下午幾通電話聯絡,三台車,近十人的麥當勞聚會在竹北不畏颱風大雨,真的很高興看見班遊時無法出現的妳你你,還有妳。還真是有點難以想像國中時的我們,現在已經是開車參加同學會了XD。雖然我仍是被嚴加看管專業採訪的幾個人之一,但若是真的要找一群人讓我傾訴,我想依然會是你們,'cause I trust you guys, I really do. 或許時間會改變很多東西,讓許多細節被淡忘,我們依然有很多方式能記錄每個當下,在二十年後的某間麥當勞裡,笑談這些美麗時光。

8.18.2013

10

再次相聚,每個人的笑容裡多了故事,故事讓我們都變得有些不一樣,但依然有著熟悉的親切,一句招牌口頭禪、一個只有我們懂的笑話......念舊或許無法帶我向前,但過去是這樣美好,為什麼要拚命往前?我們都在和時間賽跑,沒有選擇。但是面對這場毫無勝算的競賽,有時候我真的只想停下來看看周遭的世界,回想以前的故事。班遊的這二天,時間的腳步依舊,但其中多了過去的熟悉感,讓我真心盼望有些東西能永遠,特別是當生活中有太多我們無法控制的變化在發生,每天每天。陷入回憶是珍貴的,因為我永遠無法知道現在腦海中浮現的記憶畫面是否會是在下一秒隨著時間被沖淡而消失的小小遺憾。昨夜在民宿的真心話聊天,有一天也會像似乎再也約不成的歡樂羽球團吧?每個人都在寫他們的故事。這樣的情景是好事,可是我說服不了心裡那空空的失落感。只能不斷告訴自己,我要用力記得每一天。

8.08.2013

9

Just finished the book "The Defining Decade -- Why your twenties matter and how to make the most of them now".

Lots of thoughts in my mind and I think it's going to take a while for me to sort things out.

I once though that having a few close friends is more important than making many friends, but it turns out that having abundant weak ties is quite important as well. I once believed that meeting the right girl and getting married is something you can't plan ahead, but after reading some cases that the author had in her therapy sessions, I think otherwise.

I had never thought about things too far away in the future, but those things aren't actually distant. Go to graduate school, get a job and start my career, travel a lot, meet someone and get married......these are all probably going to (or should) happen in ten years. Shockingly surprised, I suddenly realized that my twenties are not something I can waste at all.

Getting a job sounds like something in the future, but it's not. The time I spent in NLSC as an intern serves as an alarm, showing me that there are still so many things for me to learn before I am ready. I am twenty, and I am certainly not a high school kid any more. "Identity crisis may still bothers you, but getting yourself some identity credits is something you should start thinking about." Twenties are like being in the shadow of a huge tree. People enjoy staying in the shadow and do whatever they like, not caring about the time. As the sun goes, the shadow moves away so quickly that we suddenly are exposed to the sunlight, and the real world outside. Getting ready, in all possible ways, is what people have to start planning for in their twenties.

Seldom do I think about life after my twenties. What would that be? How will my thirties, or even forties, look like? When contemplating these questions, I have this total blank in my mind which terrifies me a lot. So that’s the problem here. I don’t see or plan things after my twenties. I have this notion in my mind that my twenties should be full of adventures and fun memories. After that, there’s nothing. No scenario, no thought, no nothing. Some say being too goal-oriented may not be good, but how can I find the motivation I need or the direction I want to set foot on if I can’t picture my life by the end of my twenties? 

We always want a happy ending. Endings like those we’ve read in the novels. But happy endings don't just show up when the time comes. Preparation is needed. You must be more future-oriented. You can't write your life story from the last sentence to the beginning. Maybe you can when writing a novel, but that’s not how things work in real life.

Being a dreamer is a teenager thing. But in our twenties, it’s time to be a go-getter.

Time to draw my own unique picture in my mind.


7.26.2013

8

Ever since I came back from Iceland, I drink.
Wait, not like "a lot", you know, it's just that I won't be drunk or feeling dizzy after merely a glass of beer. Although I nearly passed out in a beautiful bar in Reykjavik after finishing the third glass of beer that night, I started to enjoy the refreshing taste of this golden-color drink. Big thanks to Damian and Gabor for saving me when I almost fell down unconsciously in the English Bar, we should meet sometime again in...I don't know, Taiwan? XD

Anyway, this summer has been a little bit boring so far. I often think about the wonderful three weeks I spent in Seltun and Reykjavik or the adventure in Nepal, or the trip two years ago with my family to the east coast of the US. More often, you will see me spending time reading articles on backpackers.com.tw . It's not that I don't like Taiwan. Actually, after those experiences I've had in different places in the world, I'm starting to love this flourishing small island more and more as time goes on. The streets, the people, the food, the cities and mountains...there is so much to offer in this country! 

It's just that...I feel like something is missing in my life recently. I wake up. I go to work. I eat. I go home. Although this is just an internship which lasts only one month, how would I know if my jobs in the future will be more interesting? Or this is it? This is the ultimate look of my life?

This scares me so much. Shouldn't I be seeing opportunities and potential when I think of the future? I am only twenty and they say twenties should be the most influential decade in one's life. But when I look at those who are currently in their twenties, I don't see the shimmering lights in their eyes. I see people starting to work in the government or companies just like our parents. This frightens me. So this is my life for the next 30 years? I know I might be exaggerating my worries a little bit, but this feeling is real, and the reality is gradually taking control of my life.

So when I feel like running away to some remote places for some time, it is not the place I live that I want to distance myself from. It is the frustration of reality that I want to get rid of. When traveling, I can finally take full control of myself. I walk with my own feet. I decide what I want to do and where I want to go every day. New things happen everywhere. Meeting people in hostels is even more intriguing. It is one of the several places where you get to see the shimmering lights in everyone's eyes. The optimistic atmosphere is why I always enjoy my time chatting with travelers worldwide.

But it is not what's happening at the moment. I am sitting in the office and people are working on land surveying issues from 8 to 17 daily. All I can do now is check flight tickets on Skyscanner and read through reviews on Lonely Planet and imagine what my next adventure would be like.




7.19.2013

7

前幾天,因為一位記者想要訪問一些關於探索課程的感想及回顧,我回到了光武。
印象中我一直是三不五時會在校園中閒晃的小孩,沒想到走進校門的剎那,卻是好久不見的似曾相識。綜合大樓前的小圓桌,實驗室樓下的幾輛單車,有些東西,有些記憶,真的開始像是上了一層微微模糊的漆。記憶中的事物仍在它原先的位置,漆上的色彩卻似一種不情願的陌生。陌生或許是互相的,但不情願是我自己的,而我也不再是那個常常在校園中閒晃的小孩了。


訪問的內容雖然已經是五年前的那場冒險,曾經數次分享的經驗讓我仍還算流暢的完成了訪問。訪問的時間其實比預期的短上不少,但我也清楚知道,再詳細的記錄仍比不上親身體會的深刻。而真正讓我難忘的,是與主任的談話。

記憶中,上一次「成群結隊」走進總務處找「熊」的場景已是多年前。坐在只有我一人的沙發上,與主任討論著大學的生活和未來的規劃,話題同時也圍繞在310的同學之間。他交了女朋友,她要去哪裡交換,他要登向哪座高山......依然看得見每位同學的個性在一件件事蹟中的熟悉感讓人不禁會心一笑,同時又在心中驚嘆自FB1之後,每個人的轉變與成長。有些人正準備大步走向世界,有些人則剛從世界走回台灣。無論駐足何處,又將走向何方,想像著背後一個個精彩的故事,那是一種很大的鼓舞,一個無形的力量,能推著你繼續向前。

離開前,在綜合大樓的轉角遇見幾位學弟妹在製做FB3.5的旗幟,主任向他們介紹:「這是你們FB1的學長...」
腦中靈光一閃,我順著接口:「白雪公主」
大家都笑了。
誰知道,我還曾經一度非常討厭這綽號呢!