Students

Now I am more relaxed with my students. I was very serious to my role as a thesis supervisor. I was keen to see the students perform well. I was disappointed when I was the students do not behave as my expectation. But now I do not think in the same way.

I had some discussions with the students in IJCAI who are supposed to be the best and the potential faculties in AI. I found that all the students told me that their supervisors do not watch closely to them. Some even can’t meet with their supervisors often because the supervisors are too busy. They probably more rely on the organization and atmospheres in a good university, like courses about profound topics, the qualification test, readings in one topic, group discussion, and the research traditions in a direction in a certain environment. They all acknowledge that their supervisors can point them a right direction and judge their proposals and ideas. And of course, the supervisors know how to publish their results.

So there is no need to give pressures to students. Either they like research and can find a way by themselves, or they have no interests in pure research and should be let go. My observation shows that there is no need to give assignments to students. Some students are enthusiastic in research, so they do it anyway. Some do not work even if I force them. It is really painful for the students to do something they do not have desires. So I can only give suggestions. Anyway, it is their theses, not mine. Actually I am not responsible for the success of my students. They make themselves. So I can relax about my role.

Hopefully, I never encourage my master students to get Ph.D., though some have the talent. I know that a Ph.D. does not gain a lot more happiness in one’s life. I even find that normal people enjoy better life than researchers. So why impose “research” to my students?