Last week, as I was waiting to meet the institute doctor regarding a medical exam, I met a colleague at the reception. He asked me how I felt after moving from one IISER to another.
Warning: this is going to be a long post! Read at your own risk.
This took me down memory lane and I remembered my first visit to IISER Pune. I then realized that I was here this time last year. I had come to attend the Pan Asian Number Theory Conference/Workshop on Bloch-Kato conjectures in July, 2012. Apart from attending lectures by experts in this field, I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet and interact with number theorists at IISER Pune. Moreover, I was really curious to know how another IISER was doing.
Until then, I had not been to any IISER other than IISERK.
I was under the impression that the conference would be in the Sai Trinity building, the temporary campus in the city and that the permanent campus would be somewhere far away. However, the conference was being held at the permanent campus, situated at a central location on the Homi Bhabha Road in Pashan, Pune, surrounded by other research institutes like NCL, IITM and DRDO. It was very close to the temporary campus.
On the first morning, as we entered the permanent campus, we noticed huge announcements at the entry gate about the conference. As the car stopped in front of the conference venue (a building by the name of HR4 as I was to learn later), my heart skipped a beat. The campus looked really impressive. I had not expected that the construction of such a huge building (housing conference facilities and the future guest house) would be complete at a (twin) sister institute.
Prof. Raghuram, the Mathematics co-ordinator, who had recently moved to IISER from Oklahoma, welcomed us and took us to the conference room. On entering and registering, we all got an umbrella designed with the logo of the institute and a special value of the Riemann zeta function. We met Prof. Shashidhara, the Dean of Faculty and Research, who inaugurated the programme and gave a small welcome speech, followed by another one by Raghuram. Both of them talked enthusiastically about how their Mathematics group was growing, the number of faculty along with the research areas represented and the newly launched Maths PhD programme. Shashi said two things which I still remember. Firstly, he mentioned the very high faculty-student ratio in the Maths PhD programme. To me, this meant that the administration there was aware that very few faculty members were working hard to build up a strong PhD programme and was appreciative of their efforts. Secondly, he mentioned that just as experimental scientists need good experimental facilities to grow, Mathematicians need more interaction with others through conferences, workshops etc. To me, this meant that this was something which the administration here supported generously [1]. In short, he said exactly those things that I was desperately waiting for IISERK administration to recognize regarding my former department.
After the first half of the conference was over, I took a small walk around their campus during lunch time. I came to know that the new hostel was ready, the lecture hall complex was well underway (it is now functional) and the construction of faculty housing had already started. As I walked around, I also saw the pre-fab lab complexes. I also noticed a fleet of IISER buses and small vehicles, which plied between the two campuses. I took one of these buses to the temporary campus at Sai Trinity building and met a friend there, who gave me a very good idea about the life of a faculty member at IISER Pune. I received lots of inputs about the availability of decent rented apartments around the area, the safety of women in Pune and related matters.
Just before this visit to IISER Pune, I had started to think about moving to another institute. But, I had not thought about it seriously - in fact, I was procrastinating on it because the task of planning, doing a round of several job applications/interviews as in 2010 and executing a move seemed daunting. What's more, I was a little overwhelmed with all kinds of news/rumours about how moving in India is really difficult, how job candidates at certain new institutes were insulted by randomly formed selection committees (I read many of these stories on the comments to the pinned post on Prof. Giri's blog), delay in processing of applications etc etc. So, even a simple thought experiment of moving would increase my (already very high) levels of cortisol!! One could say that I was misinformed to some extent and hesitant to come out of my "comfort zone" even though it would be better for my mathematical growth.
That evening, as we waited for a car to take us back to the hotel, I was talking to a senior colleague, Dr. Nice Prof from a different institute. We were discussing the pleasant weather at Pune. He jokingly said, "Aap Yahaan kyun nahi aa jaate [why don't you move here]?" He had simply said out aloud what I had already started thinking, namely that IISER P would indeed be a very good place to apply to. It had a well-staffed (and growing) Mathematics group, a non-trivial group of number theorists and good infrastructure. What's more, it was in the IISER family - so, I was familiar with and believed in its objectives and academic structure. But, I was not sure if they were hiring and would entertain my application - if not, it would be an awkward situation. I thought more about it and made up my mind to ask Raghuram the next morning. At the very worst, he would say no. But, at least this would force me to come out of my "comfort zone" and would be my first concrete step in exploring other opportunities. As a very wise friend pointed out, where was the need for hesitation or awkwardness? I already had a permanent position, but was just looking for a better opportunity - this is not a crime! I should ask and I should ask confidently.
So, I approached him the next morning and received a prompt answer, "Yes, we are hiring." He told me about the hiring procedure, patiently answered all my questions and directed me to the FAQ page for faculty aspirants. He also told me more about the number theory group at Pune. So, the matter was decided: I would apply. It did not mean that I would get the position, but I was willing to try. I was planning to return in September for another conference and would prepare my application package by then. But, in the next week, I felt the need to apply as soon as possible. I contacted potential referees who agreed to write reference letters as soon as needed and sent me plenty of encouragement. Thus, for some time, I put aside a question that always gnaws at my mind before I apply for any thing, "am I good enough for this?" I thought, "maybe I am not, but I must apply to find out."
On a dreary Friday morning, determined to put together my application package, I woke up with a headache. It was raining very heavily and my domestic help did not show up. I had to request my neighbour for a ride in her car. She too had just returned from a visit to IISERP and while we drove to campus, she was praising it.
As luck would have it, our new Int. PhD students were joining on that day and I had to meet them to assign them course work, mentors for reading courses etc. I also had to attend a long meeting. After that, I remember having a meal at our local tea shop and one of my colleagues remarked, "Kaneenika, you look like you have hit a wall." You bet! After that, I jumped into preparing the application, with copious help from The FAQ page for faculty aspirants at IISER Pune. I again wrote to Raghuram, who promptly answered all queries and reminded me to take care to"apply through proper channels." I called up a former colleague who is now at IISER TVM and he told me exactly what to do. I then had "the talk" with the Dean, Faculty at IISERK as we headed for another meeting. Although surprised, he fully cooperated and mentioned that he will speak to the director as soon as possible.
By 9 pm, the application was ready and sent by email to IISERP. In the application, I mentioned that this was an electronic copy and a hard copy would be forwarded soon through the proper channels.
On Monday morning, I handed over the printed application to Dean, Faculty. He got the director's approval and handed me a "No Objection Certificate" by noon! To date, I feel grateful that the higher authorities understood my need to apply and fully cooperated, even at such short notice. Meanwhile, I also got an acknowledgement of my application from Pune. I scanned and emailed the NOC to them. Just as I was waiting to meet D o F to take the NOC, I made the mistake of telling a trusted colleague about this application and requested him to keep it "strictly confidential." As if!! By Tuesday noon, everyone on campus, including the tea shop owner, knew. I have written here about the comical consequences of my indiscretion. But, the colleague still remains one of my favourite colleagues at IISERK.
Soon, I also received an email from IISERP, inviting me to give a seminar talk and attend an interview with the selection committee, which was meeting the next Monday on the 13th of August. I got ready for it. Since everyone on campus knew about my application, I took advantage of it by practicing the job talk in the preceding weekend with some Maths and Physics colleagues who live on campus.
Their inputs were very helpful. I then made other preparations for the visit [2].
I arrived at the IISER Pune guest house at Mira Mohan Apartments on Sunday late afternoon and was generously fed with bananas, Maggi noodles and a hot cup of Masala Chai by the resident care-taker, Ramji.
The seminar talk was scheduled next morning, followed by the interview in the afternoon. As I sat waiting for the committee to call me in, I started to get nervous again. Will it be like the interviews mentioned in the comments on Prof. Giri's blog?
Will they ask me why I want to move from IISER Kolkata? Will they talk to me in a friendly or insulting tone?
All my fears were allayed within seconds of entering the board room. Prof. Ganesh, the director, introduced me to all the committee members and immediately put me at ease. It was a very professional, but at the same time, friendly meeting. I was asked about my teaching and research activities at IISERK. They did ask me why I was interested in IISER Pune, but no one asked anything inappropriate about IISERK. In the later half of the interview, one of the committee members asked me what kind of admin work I had done at IISER K and what kind of committees I had served in. When I started naming the committees, one member interjected and said, "wait, name the committees that you were not in," after which everyone started laughing. I was also encouraged to ask questions - my only question was if my PhD student could move with me. I was told that it was possible. I came out of the board room very happy and relieved.
IISER Pune informs candidates within a week of the interview whether their application has been successful. The formal letter comes after BOG's approval. I also got such an email within two days of returning to Kolkata and then waited for the formal letter.
The formal letter arrived in the end of August. I saw it in the early morning and immediately wrote back accepting the offer. It was a bright and sunny morning. To celebrate the good news, I went for a run around the IISER campus and was treated to Aloo Puri by my domestic help after that.
In early September, I visited IISER Pune again for another conference. I thanked both Raghuram and Shashi for timely processing of my application, but both of them smiled and acted as if it is routine matter :) Dr. Nice Prof, who was also visiting for this conference, was very surprised to hear about my upcoming move, joked about it and did not believe me when I reminded him that it was his suggestion. Just like in July, we were taken for a walk around the campus. But, this time, I felt as if I was a host and not a visitor.
In retrospect, I still feel amazed at how quickly and smoothly everything worked out.
The application, interview and formal offer happened within a span of one month.
First and foremost, my referees wrote up the letters at short notice. Secondly, the people concerned at IISER Kolkata cooperated with the move.
Finally, the application got a very good treatment at IISER Pune and when I joined, I was provided with timely help by the administration, which helped in settling down quickly [3].
This also brought back memories of my application to IISER Kolkata way back in 2010, which was also promptly processed. Even when I had joined there, I was provided a lot of help in settling down. I believe that this kind of efficient and polite treatment of applications of faculty aspirants and the organizational help received by them on joining goes a long way in motivating new faculty members to give their very best to their organization.
[1] Mathematics at IISER Pune has been very active in organizing international conferences in focused areas. Next year, we will be organizing two very big Mathematics events, one of which is very closely related to my research area. I will be writing more about them soon.
[2] I have written before about my casual approach to dressing up. But, for the IISER Pune interview, I thought very carefully about what to wear. In fact, I could not decide what to wear - so, I took three different formal dresses with me to Pune, so that I could choose the best one on the day of the job visit. As you can see, I REALLY wanted this job :-)
[3] On the personal front, I had the keys to an apartment and a new car within a day of arrival, prompting one of my colleagues here to name me "superfast Kaneenika."
Warning: this is going to be a long post! Read at your own risk.
This took me down memory lane and I remembered my first visit to IISER Pune. I then realized that I was here this time last year. I had come to attend the Pan Asian Number Theory Conference/Workshop on Bloch-Kato conjectures in July, 2012. Apart from attending lectures by experts in this field, I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet and interact with number theorists at IISER Pune. Moreover, I was really curious to know how another IISER was doing.
Until then, I had not been to any IISER other than IISERK.
I was under the impression that the conference would be in the Sai Trinity building, the temporary campus in the city and that the permanent campus would be somewhere far away. However, the conference was being held at the permanent campus, situated at a central location on the Homi Bhabha Road in Pashan, Pune, surrounded by other research institutes like NCL, IITM and DRDO. It was very close to the temporary campus.
On the first morning, as we entered the permanent campus, we noticed huge announcements at the entry gate about the conference. As the car stopped in front of the conference venue (a building by the name of HR4 as I was to learn later), my heart skipped a beat. The campus looked really impressive. I had not expected that the construction of such a huge building (housing conference facilities and the future guest house) would be complete at a (twin) sister institute.
Prof. Raghuram, the Mathematics co-ordinator, who had recently moved to IISER from Oklahoma, welcomed us and took us to the conference room. On entering and registering, we all got an umbrella designed with the logo of the institute and a special value of the Riemann zeta function. We met Prof. Shashidhara, the Dean of Faculty and Research, who inaugurated the programme and gave a small welcome speech, followed by another one by Raghuram. Both of them talked enthusiastically about how their Mathematics group was growing, the number of faculty along with the research areas represented and the newly launched Maths PhD programme. Shashi said two things which I still remember. Firstly, he mentioned the very high faculty-student ratio in the Maths PhD programme. To me, this meant that the administration there was aware that very few faculty members were working hard to build up a strong PhD programme and was appreciative of their efforts. Secondly, he mentioned that just as experimental scientists need good experimental facilities to grow, Mathematicians need more interaction with others through conferences, workshops etc. To me, this meant that this was something which the administration here supported generously [1]. In short, he said exactly those things that I was desperately waiting for IISERK administration to recognize regarding my former department.
After the first half of the conference was over, I took a small walk around their campus during lunch time. I came to know that the new hostel was ready, the lecture hall complex was well underway (it is now functional) and the construction of faculty housing had already started. As I walked around, I also saw the pre-fab lab complexes. I also noticed a fleet of IISER buses and small vehicles, which plied between the two campuses. I took one of these buses to the temporary campus at Sai Trinity building and met a friend there, who gave me a very good idea about the life of a faculty member at IISER Pune. I received lots of inputs about the availability of decent rented apartments around the area, the safety of women in Pune and related matters.
Just before this visit to IISER Pune, I had started to think about moving to another institute. But, I had not thought about it seriously - in fact, I was procrastinating on it because the task of planning, doing a round of several job applications/interviews as in 2010 and executing a move seemed daunting. What's more, I was a little overwhelmed with all kinds of news/rumours about how moving in India is really difficult, how job candidates at certain new institutes were insulted by randomly formed selection committees (I read many of these stories on the comments to the pinned post on Prof. Giri's blog), delay in processing of applications etc etc. So, even a simple thought experiment of moving would increase my (already very high) levels of cortisol!! One could say that I was misinformed to some extent and hesitant to come out of my "comfort zone" even though it would be better for my mathematical growth.
That evening, as we waited for a car to take us back to the hotel, I was talking to a senior colleague, Dr. Nice Prof from a different institute. We were discussing the pleasant weather at Pune. He jokingly said, "Aap Yahaan kyun nahi aa jaate [why don't you move here]?" He had simply said out aloud what I had already started thinking, namely that IISER P would indeed be a very good place to apply to. It had a well-staffed (and growing) Mathematics group, a non-trivial group of number theorists and good infrastructure. What's more, it was in the IISER family - so, I was familiar with and believed in its objectives and academic structure. But, I was not sure if they were hiring and would entertain my application - if not, it would be an awkward situation. I thought more about it and made up my mind to ask Raghuram the next morning. At the very worst, he would say no. But, at least this would force me to come out of my "comfort zone" and would be my first concrete step in exploring other opportunities. As a very wise friend pointed out, where was the need for hesitation or awkwardness? I already had a permanent position, but was just looking for a better opportunity - this is not a crime! I should ask and I should ask confidently.
So, I approached him the next morning and received a prompt answer, "Yes, we are hiring." He told me about the hiring procedure, patiently answered all my questions and directed me to the FAQ page for faculty aspirants. He also told me more about the number theory group at Pune. So, the matter was decided: I would apply. It did not mean that I would get the position, but I was willing to try. I was planning to return in September for another conference and would prepare my application package by then. But, in the next week, I felt the need to apply as soon as possible. I contacted potential referees who agreed to write reference letters as soon as needed and sent me plenty of encouragement. Thus, for some time, I put aside a question that always gnaws at my mind before I apply for any thing, "am I good enough for this?" I thought, "maybe I am not, but I must apply to find out."
On a dreary Friday morning, determined to put together my application package, I woke up with a headache. It was raining very heavily and my domestic help did not show up. I had to request my neighbour for a ride in her car. She too had just returned from a visit to IISERP and while we drove to campus, she was praising it.
As luck would have it, our new Int. PhD students were joining on that day and I had to meet them to assign them course work, mentors for reading courses etc. I also had to attend a long meeting. After that, I remember having a meal at our local tea shop and one of my colleagues remarked, "Kaneenika, you look like you have hit a wall." You bet! After that, I jumped into preparing the application, with copious help from The FAQ page for faculty aspirants at IISER Pune. I again wrote to Raghuram, who promptly answered all queries and reminded me to take care to"apply through proper channels." I called up a former colleague who is now at IISER TVM and he told me exactly what to do. I then had "the talk" with the Dean, Faculty at IISERK as we headed for another meeting. Although surprised, he fully cooperated and mentioned that he will speak to the director as soon as possible.
By 9 pm, the application was ready and sent by email to IISERP. In the application, I mentioned that this was an electronic copy and a hard copy would be forwarded soon through the proper channels.
On Monday morning, I handed over the printed application to Dean, Faculty. He got the director's approval and handed me a "No Objection Certificate" by noon! To date, I feel grateful that the higher authorities understood my need to apply and fully cooperated, even at such short notice. Meanwhile, I also got an acknowledgement of my application from Pune. I scanned and emailed the NOC to them. Just as I was waiting to meet D o F to take the NOC, I made the mistake of telling a trusted colleague about this application and requested him to keep it "strictly confidential." As if!! By Tuesday noon, everyone on campus, including the tea shop owner, knew. I have written here about the comical consequences of my indiscretion. But, the colleague still remains one of my favourite colleagues at IISERK.
Soon, I also received an email from IISERP, inviting me to give a seminar talk and attend an interview with the selection committee, which was meeting the next Monday on the 13th of August. I got ready for it. Since everyone on campus knew about my application, I took advantage of it by practicing the job talk in the preceding weekend with some Maths and Physics colleagues who live on campus.
Their inputs were very helpful. I then made other preparations for the visit [2].
I arrived at the IISER Pune guest house at Mira Mohan Apartments on Sunday late afternoon and was generously fed with bananas, Maggi noodles and a hot cup of Masala Chai by the resident care-taker, Ramji.
The seminar talk was scheduled next morning, followed by the interview in the afternoon. As I sat waiting for the committee to call me in, I started to get nervous again. Will it be like the interviews mentioned in the comments on Prof. Giri's blog?
Will they ask me why I want to move from IISER Kolkata? Will they talk to me in a friendly or insulting tone?
All my fears were allayed within seconds of entering the board room. Prof. Ganesh, the director, introduced me to all the committee members and immediately put me at ease. It was a very professional, but at the same time, friendly meeting. I was asked about my teaching and research activities at IISERK. They did ask me why I was interested in IISER Pune, but no one asked anything inappropriate about IISERK. In the later half of the interview, one of the committee members asked me what kind of admin work I had done at IISER K and what kind of committees I had served in. When I started naming the committees, one member interjected and said, "wait, name the committees that you were not in," after which everyone started laughing. I was also encouraged to ask questions - my only question was if my PhD student could move with me. I was told that it was possible. I came out of the board room very happy and relieved.
IISER Pune informs candidates within a week of the interview whether their application has been successful. The formal letter comes after BOG's approval. I also got such an email within two days of returning to Kolkata and then waited for the formal letter.
The formal letter arrived in the end of August. I saw it in the early morning and immediately wrote back accepting the offer. It was a bright and sunny morning. To celebrate the good news, I went for a run around the IISER campus and was treated to Aloo Puri by my domestic help after that.
In early September, I visited IISER Pune again for another conference. I thanked both Raghuram and Shashi for timely processing of my application, but both of them smiled and acted as if it is routine matter :) Dr. Nice Prof, who was also visiting for this conference, was very surprised to hear about my upcoming move, joked about it and did not believe me when I reminded him that it was his suggestion. Just like in July, we were taken for a walk around the campus. But, this time, I felt as if I was a host and not a visitor.
In retrospect, I still feel amazed at how quickly and smoothly everything worked out.
The application, interview and formal offer happened within a span of one month.
First and foremost, my referees wrote up the letters at short notice. Secondly, the people concerned at IISER Kolkata cooperated with the move.
Finally, the application got a very good treatment at IISER Pune and when I joined, I was provided with timely help by the administration, which helped in settling down quickly [3].
This also brought back memories of my application to IISER Kolkata way back in 2010, which was also promptly processed. Even when I had joined there, I was provided a lot of help in settling down. I believe that this kind of efficient and polite treatment of applications of faculty aspirants and the organizational help received by them on joining goes a long way in motivating new faculty members to give their very best to their organization.
[1] Mathematics at IISER Pune has been very active in organizing international conferences in focused areas. Next year, we will be organizing two very big Mathematics events, one of which is very closely related to my research area. I will be writing more about them soon.
[2] I have written before about my casual approach to dressing up. But, for the IISER Pune interview, I thought very carefully about what to wear. In fact, I could not decide what to wear - so, I took three different formal dresses with me to Pune, so that I could choose the best one on the day of the job visit. As you can see, I REALLY wanted this job :-)
[3] On the personal front, I had the keys to an apartment and a new car within a day of arrival, prompting one of my colleagues here to name me "superfast Kaneenika."
