I recently read a book from Hong Kong called The Doldrums of Hong Kong. The main message is that present-day Hong Kong is in the tight grips of the baby-boomers, who continue to occupy the upper echelons and exert their influences on the whole society. In contrast, the 30-somethings are finding it increasingly difficult to make breakthroughs in their lives and the society – much more difficult than the baby-boomers, in fact.
This is perhaps just part of a world-wide phenomenon.
The middle-aged in Australia may not feel the same frustration as their Hong Kong counterparts, but those coming out of university in recent years may find the world in front of them much tougher than their parents’ days. One of the many big factors is the house prices. Back in those days, their parents might well be able to afford to own their own dwelling not so long after the start of their careers. The much-inflated prices these days, however, make the housing dream much harder to be realised by many of the younger generation. Not surprisingly, the main beneficiaries of the price boom are the existing home-owners and investors/speculators, many of whom belong to their parents’ generation! The baby-boomers also had the great fortune of free university education, but ever since the introduction of university fees, the financial burden on their children has been only on the way up. Many young people have deferred the payment of fees until their employment. And as if university debt is not enough, many are pushed further into the red thanks to the ever more rampant consumerism that encourage spending and more spending. It’s simply too hard to think about the future when many young people are buried by their mountain of debt.
Higher tertiary education costs and house prices equally affect young people from many other countries. Even if they manage eventually to rid themselves of the financial burden, they face increasing hurdles in the careers and may feel constrained by the baby boomers once again.
This problem is recently explored in the editorial of latest issue of the journal Nature Chemical Biology, which discussed the impact of ageing baby boomer professors in the research arena. Although the focus is on academic research, many other industries undoubtedly face similar problems as well. The main gist of the editorial is that, although many baby boomers are approaching retirement age, they still have the energy to advance their research plans and thus are not in a hurry to leave. However, this appears to place younger researchers in a difficult situation as it becomes very tough for them to apply for their first independent funding. In fact, the mean age at which researchers receive their first grant has increased steadily to 42! Institutions must consider thoroughly how best to balance the interest between the ‘old and fit’ researchers and their younger cohorts.
The current baby-boomer researchers have worked hard to lay the foundations of modern research. They are most qualified to impart their extensive experience and knowledge to the benefit of the budding researchers. It is indeed a great loss if the older generation is forced to retire against their will. But is it worth it if the career prospects of the younger researchers become jeopardised because of this? These young bloods bring with them new vision and energy, and are less burdened by convention and prejudice. They are in a good position to propel the next breakthroughs in their fields, except if they cannot launch the first step of their career, what can they do? This would be a great waste of talent, to the detriment of the research community at large. At worst, the older researchers may even not be able to pass their batons on.
The baby-boomers have laid rock-solid foundations for their careers, finances and status quo, which look to be unchallengeable. The next generation may well aspire to the success of the boomers, but the path will certainly be not as easy. When we were still young, our parents would often say that we were the lucky generation. It may well be true, but as we venture further into our lives and set foot into the real world, we can’t help but feel that our parents are the really lucky generation …
最近讀到《香港的鬱悶》一書（韓江雪、鄒崇銘著，牛津出版社），大意是今時今日的香港，盡在一班嬰兒潮的成功人仕之掌握中，他們對社會的的影響力和地位非無減退，且越見鞏固，而「三字頭」要向上突圍，也不像嬰兒潮出身時容易。
這個現象／問題不祇香港獨有。
澳洲的中年人或許沒這種無力感，但這幾年踏出大學校門的一輩，或會感到世界再不像父母輩般容易，那個年代樓價便宜，大學畢業沒多久便置業並不太難，如今樓價飆升了不少，置業之路祇有愈來愈漫長，而最得益者，莫過於擁有物業的一群和投資（機）者——當中自然不乏嬰兒潮的上一輩！父母那個年代，念大學是免費的，但自從十多年前推行學費後，學費有增無減，不少學生都選擇出來工作後才攤還，而社會風氣又鼓吹消費享受，年輕人剛踏足社會往往便背負一身債，甚麼長遠大計，還是先拆了債台再想吧。
樓價＋大學學費上漲這兩大問題，都困擾世界不少地方的青年人。就算甩掉財政包袱後，事業前途又受制於上一代，絕不好過！
最近一期《自然化學生物學》雜誌的社論（英文原文在此），便探討嬰兒潮一輩的教授老化對學術環境及生態的影響，雖然祇談學術界，其他行業相信也面對類似難題。社論內容大概指出，美國大批嬰兒潮教授將屆退休之齡，但仍有精力推動研究工作，所以都不急於（也不樂於）全身而退，這卻阻礙了後輩開展自己新事業，成功申請獨立研究員撥款的平均年齡，竟上升至42歲！，大學及其他機構如何平衡「老當益壯」和新晉教授的利益，實要周詳考慮。
上一輩教授對現代研究的奠基誠然功不可以沒，而且經驗豐富，他們的提攜和指導，往往讓後輩獲益良多，迫令他們退休，會是研究界的重大損失，但若挽留老教授的代價，是要犧牲年輕研究員的前途，又是否值得？這些新血帶來新動力和新視野，較少思想包袱和成見，正能打破前人的框框，推進研究新方向，但若他們遲遲不能上位，又怎能後浪推前浪？這樣埋沒未來人材，也非研究界之福，更可能導致將來研究事業青黃不接。
上一代為自己打下的事業、財政及社會基礎，看來絲毫不會動搖，後輩如要走上一代的成功之路，雖非遙不可及，卻不會像上一代容易。小時候，父母常言道，你們這一代真幸福，但當我們遠離童年、踏足社會後，祇會更深感，上一代其實也很幸福呀……
This is perhaps just part of a world-wide phenomenon.
The middle-aged in Australia may not feel the same frustration as their Hong Kong counterparts, but those coming out of university in recent years may find the world in front of them much tougher than their parents’ days. One of the many big factors is the house prices. Back in those days, their parents might well be able to afford to own their own dwelling not so long after the start of their careers. The much-inflated prices these days, however, make the housing dream much harder to be realised by many of the younger generation. Not surprisingly, the main beneficiaries of the price boom are the existing home-owners and investors/speculators, many of whom belong to their parents’ generation! The baby-boomers also had the great fortune of free university education, but ever since the introduction of university fees, the financial burden on their children has been only on the way up. Many young people have deferred the payment of fees until their employment. And as if university debt is not enough, many are pushed further into the red thanks to the ever more rampant consumerism that encourage spending and more spending. It’s simply too hard to think about the future when many young people are buried by their mountain of debt.
Higher tertiary education costs and house prices equally affect young people from many other countries. Even if they manage eventually to rid themselves of the financial burden, they face increasing hurdles in the careers and may feel constrained by the baby boomers once again.
This problem is recently explored in the editorial of latest issue of the journal Nature Chemical Biology, which discussed the impact of ageing baby boomer professors in the research arena. Although the focus is on academic research, many other industries undoubtedly face similar problems as well. The main gist of the editorial is that, although many baby boomers are approaching retirement age, they still have the energy to advance their research plans and thus are not in a hurry to leave. However, this appears to place younger researchers in a difficult situation as it becomes very tough for them to apply for their first independent funding. In fact, the mean age at which researchers receive their first grant has increased steadily to 42! Institutions must consider thoroughly how best to balance the interest between the ‘old and fit’ researchers and their younger cohorts.
The current baby-boomer researchers have worked hard to lay the foundations of modern research. They are most qualified to impart their extensive experience and knowledge to the benefit of the budding researchers. It is indeed a great loss if the older generation is forced to retire against their will. But is it worth it if the career prospects of the younger researchers become jeopardised because of this? These young bloods bring with them new vision and energy, and are less burdened by convention and prejudice. They are in a good position to propel the next breakthroughs in their fields, except if they cannot launch the first step of their career, what can they do? This would be a great waste of talent, to the detriment of the research community at large. At worst, the older researchers may even not be able to pass their batons on.
The baby-boomers have laid rock-solid foundations for their careers, finances and status quo, which look to be unchallengeable. The next generation may well aspire to the success of the boomers, but the path will certainly be not as easy. When we were still young, our parents would often say that we were the lucky generation. It may well be true, but as we venture further into our lives and set foot into the real world, we can’t help but feel that our parents are the really lucky generation …
最近讀到《香港的鬱悶》一書（韓江雪、鄒崇銘著，牛津出版社），大意是今時今日的香港，盡在一班嬰兒潮的成功人仕之掌握中，他們對社會的的影響力和地位非無減退，且越見鞏固，而「三字頭」要向上突圍，也不像嬰兒潮出身時容易。
這個現象／問題不祇香港獨有。
澳洲的中年人或許沒這種無力感，但這幾年踏出大學校門的一輩，或會感到世界再不像父母輩般容易，那個年代樓價便宜，大學畢業沒多久便置業並不太難，如今樓價飆升了不少，置業之路祇有愈來愈漫長，而最得益者，莫過於擁有物業的一群和投資（機）者——當中自然不乏嬰兒潮的上一輩！父母那個年代，念大學是免費的，但自從十多年前推行學費後，學費有增無減，不少學生都選擇出來工作後才攤還，而社會風氣又鼓吹消費享受，年輕人剛踏足社會往往便背負一身債，甚麼長遠大計，還是先拆了債台再想吧。
樓價＋大學學費上漲這兩大問題，都困擾世界不少地方的青年人。就算甩掉財政包袱後，事業前途又受制於上一代，絕不好過！
最近一期《自然化學生物學》雜誌的社論（英文原文在此），便探討嬰兒潮一輩的教授老化對學術環境及生態的影響，雖然祇談學術界，其他行業相信也面對類似難題。社論內容大概指出，美國大批嬰兒潮教授將屆退休之齡，但仍有精力推動研究工作，所以都不急於（也不樂於）全身而退，這卻阻礙了後輩開展自己新事業，成功申請獨立研究員撥款的平均年齡，竟上升至42歲！，大學及其他機構如何平衡「老當益壯」和新晉教授的利益，實要周詳考慮。
上一輩教授對現代研究的奠基誠然功不可以沒，而且經驗豐富，他們的提攜和指導，往往讓後輩獲益良多，迫令他們退休，會是研究界的重大損失，但若挽留老教授的代價，是要犧牲年輕研究員的前途，又是否值得？這些新血帶來新動力和新視野，較少思想包袱和成見，正能打破前人的框框，推進研究新方向，但若他們遲遲不能上位，又怎能後浪推前浪？這樣埋沒未來人材，也非研究界之福，更可能導致將來研究事業青黃不接。
上一代為自己打下的事業、財政及社會基礎，看來絲毫不會動搖，後輩如要走上一代的成功之路，雖非遙不可及，卻不會像上一代容易。小時候，父母常言道，你們這一代真幸福，但當我們遠離童年、踏足社會後，祇會更深感，上一代其實也很幸福呀……
Comments
非常有水準的文章，真的是獲益良多﹗要多來拜讀﹗