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People I studied didn’t actually have an undergraduate system of research. Don’t be like your mentor or
degree program; rather, there was a six-year track other established researchers in the field. Prove that
for a master’s degree, from which I went on to a PhD you can make an original contribution.
and an additional, fourth degree—which includes a “This is a tough requirement, but we expect young
much more comprehensive and extensive research faculty members to step out of their comfort
thesis, and which is what turns you into a professor. zone and build something that is unique, even if
When I arrived at the Technion, I was asked whether smaller in scope, and even if this involves fewer
I was a ‘regular’ doctor or a ‘doctor-doctor,’” he publications. Experience shows that this is the only
laughs. recipe for growth and development.
Are there also significant differences in the research “I’m not saying it’s not harsh. There are cases of
world? extremely talented researchers who nonetheless
“Certainly. There is a substantial difference need others’ support in establishing their goals, but
throughout the entire research system: In Russia, no method is ideal. And it’s still better and more
everything is organized around laboratories and correct than what I knew in Russia.”
institutes. These are headed by a director, who Does the faculty have a mechanism in place to help
determines what the lab studies, with numerous researchers hit the ground running?
people working under the director. In Israel, and “First of all, we say to them: Give talks, bring up
in the Western world in general, a faculty member questions, attend conferences, be part of the
builds his or her own research environment. This community, and this will support you in this phase.
world is considerably more individualistic, as well as But when it comes to scientific research, if a person
entrepreneurial. lacks the inner will—none of it will work.
“In Russia, it is harder for a faculty member to “Our goal is to compete in the big league and try to
be promoted. If a researcher seeks to become a be a world leader. That is the current situation, and
lab director and study research questions that we seek to maintain it. And it also underlies one of
he initiates, he can either leave and establish his my major missions—locating outstanding faculty.”
own lab, which is no simple matter, or wait till the And what about undergraduate studies? Mechanical
director of his lab retires, which may take forty engineering is situated on the interface of theory
years.” and practice; what is your perception of an ideal
What was your experience in transitioning between graduate in this field?
the two systems? “Whenever I am asked what is mechanical
“I think that overall, I settled in quickly enough, and engineering, what does your faculty do, I reply:
I am thankful for the moment when I decided to Anything but mechanical engineering.”
make the transition. It gave me the independence Meaning?
I did not have before. In a recent conversation with “No one here deals with large machines, with
my former lab director, a remarkable person I keep ‘grease.’ We are a research faculty in a research
in touch with to this day, we talked about the subject institution. We are more concerned with research
of research independence in the context of several and less with engineering design. And our studies
friends, who did not develop independent paths are interdisciplinary.”
there.” That former colleague elucidated for Prof. Please explain.
Gendelman the nature of researcher independence “An electrical engineer is expected to know
and its importance. electronics, a computer engineer is expected to
How does this affect your perception of research in understand algorithms and advanced software.
the faculty? A mechanical engineer is expected to be able to
“To a great extent: I tend to provide as much combine everything; to possess a deep knowledge
freedom as possible to the faculty’s researchers— of the basic subjects in addition to sufficient
to limit my intervention to the minimum, while working knowledge of all engineering areas, and
providing support when such is needed, of course. have the ability to integrate all of them. That, for me,
I strive for their independence. When new faculty is an ideal graduate.”
members ask what is expected of them here, I And how is this manifested in your view of the ideal
respond: Pick your own direction and build your own curriculum?
32 | MEgazine | Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
