More than three-quarters of respondents to a survey released yesterday by the National Applied Research Laboratories said that earning a doctorate is rewarding, but those with doctoral degrees in the natural and life sciences reported lower satisfaction.
At a news conference in Taipei, the Science and Technology Policy Research and Information Center unveiled the results of the poll, which surveyed Taiwanese who obtained doctorates between 2001 and 2017, as part of a long-term project to track talent.
The center in 2018 sent out 29,702 questionnaires and received 4,897 valid replies, center associate researcher Lo Ai-yen (羅愛雁) said.
Photo: CNA
The center did not reveal the results until yesterday because it needed time to analyze the results, Lo said, adding that it hoped to announce them at a time when more doctorate holders are starting to find jobs.
A total of 75.7 percent of respondents said that it was rewarding to earn a doctoral degree.
It also found that 85.7 percent of respondents aged 50 or older found having a doctorate rewarding, greater than the 76 percent of people aged 40 to 49 and the 66.2 percent of people younger than 40.
Holders of doctorates in education were the most satisfied at 84.9 percent, followed by those with advanced degrees in agriculture; mechanical engineering; medical fields; arts and humanities; and business management, the survey found.
By comparison, 62.8 percent of holders of a life sciences doctorate and 70.5 percent of those with a natural sciences doctorate considered their degrees beneficial, the lowest two among 12 disciplines, it found.
In terms of gender, 78.4 percent of female respondents said that their doctorates were beneficial, greater than the 74.6 percent of male respondents.
Respondents in education possibly reported greater satisfaction because academic degrees are pertinent to the promotion of teachers, while doctorates are not always required for people working in scientific fields in Taiwan, Lo said.
In addition to the requirements of their jobs, women are likely to consider more factors, such as self-achievement and education for children, while men might focus on work when evaluating the worth of diplomas, she said.
As for their motives for attaining doctorates, 78.5 percent referred to job requirements, 78.2 percent said that they hoped to become the top talent in their fields and 66.8 percent cited the expectations of parents, family members or others, the survey showed.
It also found that people who worked while studying for their doctorate and those who worked before enrolling in doctoral programs had greater satisfaction with their degrees than those without full-time work experience.
People who obtained doctorates from foreign universities also had greater satisfaction that those who received them from domestic institutions, it showed.
People who cannot decide whether to pursue a doctorate should first enter the workforce to clarify their needs, Lo said, adding that work experience could also foster industrial-academic exchanges.
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