Subsections

• In Mexico

Our contribution to the search for a viable solution

So far, I have only discussed the pertinent aspects of the problem which have led to the development of our new undergraduate program in physics, astrophysics and physics engineering. This proposal will not solve ALL the problems but I do believe it shows a way in which we can address some of them. The aim of our new BSc program is to improve and increase the skills offered by more `classical' programs in order to improve the employment opportunities of the students and also their chances of success and flexibility in graduate school. According to a survey conducted by the AIP in 1994 the skills most frequently used by physics degree holders (AIP Statistics, 1995) are: (listed in order of importance):

• for BScs employed in industry, goverment and national laboratories; problem solving, good interpersonal relations, advanced computer and management skills are required, followed by business principles, technical writing and advanced mathematics skills;

• for PhDs in the academic enviroment; problem solving, technical writing, good interpersonal relations, knowledge of physics and advanced mathematics are required, followed by knowledge of specialized equipment and statistical concepts.

From the survey results two are: (a) BSc recipients have virtually no job opportunities in academia; and (b) knowledge of physics, advanced mathematics and statistics are not considered as very important skills within the job opportunities available. The main skill required for both populations is problem solving which is mostly learned in the study of experimental methods. Feynman once strongly criticised Brazilian academics, in 1951, that no science was being taught in Brazil. His opinion was based on the lack of experimental experience in their programs and practical applications for what was being taught. Undergraduate and graduate programs must expose their students to more and better laboratory experience which is one of the aims of our program.

In Mexico

The situation in Mexico is a very peculiar one relative to the rest of Latin America. Mexico and Brazil's economies are among the most stable in the region, and both have a strong interest in promoting and supporting science and technology education and the job market (Macilwain 1999). Both governments have been spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year in Research and Development (R & D), improving undergraduate and graduate programs, and developing national laboratories and institutes where students can gain the experience needed and/or, promoting international collaborations between universities and big projects abroad.

In Mexico, most graduate programs in Physics stress more the theoretical than the experimental research, primarily due to the high costs of establishing laboratories, but this has been changing in the past few years. The job market for research in sciences and engineering is growing very rapidly in Mexico. Many of Mexico's PhDs in Physics and Astronomy have earned their degrees in the US and/or Europe with grants provided by the Mexican government. This has worked out very well because most of those students return with new ideas, perspectives and collaborators. One big problem is that the students graduating from high school (year twelve) have a lower education level compared to that in the US, Europe and Australia, especially in sciences. Most university's science and engineering programs must offer remedial courses over the summer, or for the first semester, before students can start a regular program. These remedial programs help the students to catch-up or brush-up on subjects they should have been exposed to in high school. To meet the growing demand for good researchers in pure and applied sciences in 1998 we designed and developed two BSc programs in Physics & Astrophysics and Physics Engineering. The programs are 4.5 years long and have a common base of 4 semesters in which the students are exposed to the standard courses in Calculus, Introductory Physics, Physics Laboratories, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Vectorial Analysis, and Mathematical Methods for physicists. At the end of their 4th semester the students may choose the area in which they want to continue and graduate. This is the first BSc program in Astrophysics offered in Mexico, a country where it is usual for the students to graduate with a physics major and then continue astrophysics in graduate school. The Physics Engineering degree is not meant to produce an engineer with a physics specialty but to produce physicists who can work in the industrial enviroment, communicate and relate with engineers. The program is different from many others, in Mexico, US, Europe and Latin America because in addition we require:

• students to become proficient in English (a 7 semester English program is part of the curriculum);
• two courses in Electronics with laboratory experience;
• two courses in Computer Programming in Fortran and C;
• chemistry with laboratory in order to learn other kinds of laboratory techniques;
• one year of advanced level laboratories in physics (one additional laboratory in observational techniques and instrumentation in astronomy for those interested in this major);
• the 4 introductory physics courses (including Modern Physics) including laboratory work;
• 5 upper level physics courses in the `classical' subjects;
• one semester Seminar course where the student is not only expected to study specific research topics but also prepare and present reports on assigned topics;
• students to participate in some research project and submit a mini-thesis which is evaluated by a committee;
• courses in project management and planning, etc (for the physics engineering majors).

The course work of the first 3 semesters of the program are common with those in other engineering degrees (same courses in physics, mathematics and computation), in the university, allowing the student to make his/her choice of major or change his/her specialty without losing the time invested.

In addition, we are planning to get Mexican industry involved in a work-study program in which the students can gain valuable experience in a `real' working enviroment. We will provide counseling on job opportunities and careers for the students as they start looking for employment. The program has been running for only 3 semesters and it will be at least 4 years before we can tell if it is succesfull in providing the additional tools that potential employers are looking for. For those students who will continue with graduate studies we expect that they will be better prepared to meet the challenges they will find and to be more productive in the research projects/groups they join.

How about those students who desire to enter other graduate programs or pursue more 'classical' careers? This should not be a problem. We do not expect that students working in this new program will have problems trying to meet the challenges of the present system, like the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). This exam, a requisite for entering any physics and/or astronomy program in the US, tries to measure the student's knowledge of theoretical physics acquired through `classical' programs. Essentially, from the physics intermediate level courses or `core' courses which are: Classical Mechanics, Electromagnetism, Quantum Mechanics, Thermodaynamics, Statistical Mechanics and Mathematics. Our students will be well prepared on this subjects since they are still part of the new curriculum. The changes in our program are mainly additions to improve the students `marketable' skills. Only time will tell how well the program is addressing the issues discussed earlier. We shall monitor the students progress and success in the job market and present a report in 5-6 years.

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997