Sounds and Fury

"in my experience, though, too many students who are interested in making a difference in the real world go on to the Ph.D--and for the wrong reason. As I always tell students asking me for advice on this, the only good reason to want to do a Ph.D. is that you want to be an assistant professor at some academic institution. If you want to deepen your knowledge or enhance your credentials, go and work out there for four or five years (past a high-quality master's program), and you will be infinitely more ready to rise up in the world than if you had spent that time doing a Ph.D. And having done well in a master's program, or having enjoyed it, is no guarantee that you are suited to a Ph.D. program. "


這段話是哈佛經濟學者Dani Rodrik說的。他負責的是甘乃迪學院中一個國際發展的碩士program。這個program就是要培養人去政策機構或者NGO從事關於第三世界發展的工作。
我其實也遇到很多朋友有同樣的困惑，到底念博士對於改變世界是否有幫助，我自己也是越來越懷疑這件事。
他的話是有點道理。