Industrial chemistry option in MSc studies in chemistry

Abstract

The department of chemistry at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev tries to recognize not only its responsibility to strive for excellence in teaching but also to prepare students for an uncertain future. At the same time, we would like to achieve a maximum return on the money the government spends on higher education (70-90% of the education budget). These were some of the factors that motivated the organization of our industrial chemistry option at the master's level.Like other universities in the world we are faced with declining enrollment of new students in chemistry (7) (see Fig. 1). In addition, B.Sc. and Ph.D. chemists face greater difficulties in finding suitable jobs in Israel than in many other developed nations. Most college graduates, including chemists, in Israel find jobs in public service institutions rather than industry (2). College graduates are notably absent from sales, agriculture, services, manufacturing, and industry and are underrepresented in management and administration.Indeed, graduates are underrepresented in all economic sectors except financing and business. They predominate in public and community services, and the overwhelming concentration of graduates is in the academic world. This situation, which applies equally to chemists (3) (as shown in Tables 1 and 2), is intolerable from national and economic points of view. This disparity in distribution exists despite the fact that the total number of students is high and growing steadily (even though fewer students enroll in chemistry). This increase in total number of graduates puts more pressure on the labor market, albeit on the wrong sectors. In the long run, increase in the level of education of the population is desirable, but if no shift of scientists into the productive sector occurs, the advantage of higher education is largely wasted. Thus, our department recognizes its obligation to help bring about a desirable change specifically, of course, in the area of chemical education. Implicit in chemistry is the creation of goods and services. Indeed, one may study because he likes it. One may also study chemistry because it will allow him to enter a profession in which there are interesting jobs. Learning for learning's sake is selfish if it ignores the basic needs of society. Training purely for vocational purposes is much more sensible in terms of social needs, but tends to cancel the benefits of an enquiring mind. The ideal is a curriculum which teaches basic concepts while recognizing that the applications of these concepts is the means for the solution of mankind's problems. Applied research can be on as high a level as basic research if the basic scientific principles underlying it are recognized and used. The Market for ChemistsThere are three employment areas for chemists in Israel: industry and the chemical industry in particular, universities and research institutes, and high school teaching. The main area for chemists should be the chemical industry. Universities have few openings every year and high school teaching do...