SPEAKERS of a biotechnology leadership camp last week told young Filipino “scientists” to pursue a career in science and help the country become globally competitive, particularly in the field of research and development.

They said young Filipino scientists have better career and economic opportunities here and abroad today with science and technology education finally being given the much-needed attention by the government.

Speaking on July 11 before the Novartis Biotechnology Leadership Camp or BioCamp 2011 held at the Asian Institute of Management in Makati City, Ernesto Domingo, a National Scientist, said one doesn’t really need to have a brilliant mind to pursue a career in research and development, noting that what it really takes is the intellectual preparedness or intellectual talent and endowment to come up with a successful discovery.

Participants of the leadership training will get the chance to represent the country in the International BioCamp 2011 to be held from August 29 to 31 at the Novartis International Headquarters in Basel, Switzerland.

BioCamp is a pioneering biotechnology seminar organized by the research-based Novartis, a Swiss healthcare company offered to postgraduate students in the natural sciences who are interested in pursuing a career in biotechnology.

According to Domingo, young scientists with published reports have better career opportunities once they succeed in coming up with a brilliant research and development project.

Speaking of his personal experience as then head of the Philippine General Hospital under the University of the Philippines system, he said the average students who are more persistent in completing scientific research are able to come up with better outputs than those with so-called brilliant minds.

Domingo, an academician who has been a professor for 50 years at UP Diliman, said there’s a need for collaboration between and among students, teachers and other stakeholders in conducting research and development.

“Gone are the days when a student or a researcher would have to confine themselves in a room to do research,” he said in Filipino.

According to Domingo, to boost research and development and encourage both students and teachers alike to pursue scientific studies, there’s a need to enhance the incentive that will promote a culture of research and development, particularly in the academe.

For her part, Dr. Cynthia Saloma, deputy director of the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at UP Diliman, said pursuing a career in science offers students both career and economic opportunities.

According to Saloma, science is a culture, a mindset, an orientation, and a way of life.

“Many young scientists embark on a research career because of their natural aptitude toward the science disciplines; fascination with nature and the investigation of natural phenomena; or have been inspired by mentors and role models to pursue a career in science,” she said.

In the Philippines, at age 30, a scientist with a PhD could earn a P20,000 monthly stipend, get a postdoctorate degree abroad, and begin an academic research career. At age 35, a scientist could land a job as an assistant professor with a monthly stipend of P30,000 to P70,000. This could go up as the career continues to get better. In the United States, she said the career and economic opportunities are better.

In biotechnology, she said there are opportunities in genomics, bioinformatics, and biotechnology and the law for those with both legal and scientific backgrounds.

“There is a wide variety of career opportunities in pursuing a career in science—a career in biotechnology and personalized medicine, such as in research and development, sales and marketing; manufacturing and quality control; clinical genetics and genetic counseling bioinformatics; and intellectual property protection,” she said.

According to Saloma, those who pursue and succeed a career in science would later reap the benefits, which include better, high-paying jobs and more importantly, recognition for their work.

However, she said budding scientists should not stop pursuing higher level of learning and should gun for a master’s degree, or even a doctorate degree in related fields of education.

“You should go for a PhD,” she said.

According to Saloma, minority of those with doctorate degrees end up with academic research careers in the US. Most, she said, end up as academicians.

Saloma said the younger they are, Filipino scientists should start a research program with the right projects and advised them to “identify a hole in the field of research.”