COMSTECH Organizes Webinar On “How To Build A Successful Academic Career”

COMSTECH Organized A Webinar On “How To Build A Successful Academic Career” Which Was Delivered By Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ali Farag

COMSTECH organized a webinar on “How to build a successful academic career” which was delivered by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Ali Farag, Professor and Program Director, American University in Cairo, Egypt online on Thursday. Prof. Farag said that there is a difference between what we think and what is the reality. He termed the academic career as ‘Academic Metabolism’, as it involves many factors like metabolism. Prof. Farag delved deep into the academic activities and talked on, how to research, write a scientific paper and present it. He suggested that the job of an academician is to break the bottlenecks and free the students by solving the problems faced by them.

He said the life of an academic revolves around studying, researching and paper writing. Prof. Farag suggested the researchers to have good networking skill, it is key to success in academics. He said, that there is no big or small research, all research is important and urged the need of always asking questions. Prof. Farag urged the researchers to learn out of the box. Learn things that you are not supposed to learn. Always attend seminars even if they are not related to your field of study. He emphasized his point by saying, that if you are a biologist, learn computer programming and if you’re an engineer learn biology.

He emphasized the researchers to practice science communication. Simplify it and communicate it to the common masses for the common good. He encouraged scientists to share ideas openly with others. Education is not learning facts, it is training minds to think, he quoted Einstein. Dr. Syed Khurshid Hasanain, Advisor COMSTECH, introduced the speaker and said that the research paper publication has key role in the career development and promotion of academics.

The webinar was attended by over 70 students, researchers, scientists, and academicians from the OIC member states. Prof. Farag completed his PhD at Texas Tech University, USA, in 2003. In 2005, after spending time as a postdoctoral fellow at The Samuel Noble Foundation, USA, and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center, USA, he became assistant professor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Egypt. Currently, he is working as a Professor at the Chemistry Department, American University in Cairo.