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More on the MIT Dean of Admission
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(For new reader and those who request 好友请求, please read my 公告栏 first).
I reported earlier on the resignation of the the MIT Dean of Admission due to youthful indiscretion committed 28 years ago. The newspaper now reports that she actually had a college degree when she applied for the entry level position 28 years ago. But the degree was from an unknown small college. She thought by claiming a degree from a better known school she can improve her chance for getting the job. Of course as things turned out, this actually cost her the current prestigious position she occupied. This episode contains two lessons:
1. Do not be ashamed that you went to a lesser school. Not everyone can be a graduate of 北大 or 清华. It is true a diploma from a well known school opens more doors (because it certifies that you were successful in a tougher competitive environment). But it is your work after you enter the door that matters afterwards. At least in the US, two years after you start work no one cares which school you are from. Most of the presidents, senators, and congressman of the US did not graduate from Ivy League schools.
2. In academia, your reputation is the only usable currency. While you can fool all the people some of the time, you cannot fool all the people all the time. Sooner or later, short term gain achieved by cheating will catch up with you.
I hope for young academics, they will remember these two lessons. And for leaders, they will realize strict enforcement of the honor code is the only way Chinese scholar will gain respect and ascendancy on the world stage.
何毓琦
https://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-1832.html
上一篇：Life of an Academic in the US
下一篇：The Sunday New York Times newspaper
I reported earlier on the resignation of the the MIT Dean of Admission due to youthful indiscretion committed 28 years ago. The newspaper now reports that she actually had a college degree when she applied for the entry level position 28 years ago. But the degree was from an unknown small college. She thought by claiming a degree from a better known school she can improve her chance for getting the job. Of course as things turned out, this actually cost her the current prestigious position she occupied. This episode contains two lessons:
1. Do not be ashamed that you went to a lesser school. Not everyone can be a graduate of 北大 or 清华. It is true a diploma from a well known school opens more doors (because it certifies that you were successful in a tougher competitive environment). But it is your work after you enter the door that matters afterwards. At least in the US, two years after you start work no one cares which school you are from. Most of the presidents, senators, and congressman of the US did not graduate from Ivy League schools.
2. In academia, your reputation is the only usable currency. While you can fool all the people some of the time, you cannot fool all the people all the time. Sooner or later, short term gain achieved by cheating will catch up with you.
I hope for young academics, they will remember these two lessons. And for leaders, they will realize strict enforcement of the honor code is the only way Chinese scholar will gain respect and ascendancy on the world stage.
何毓琦
https://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-1565-1832.html
上一篇：Life of an Academic in the US
下一篇：The Sunday New York Times newspaper
