My personal views on research in 3 countries/continents –
Pros:
1) Open source learning, good interaction among students
2) Urge to perform, understand and good awareness
3) People with good theoretical understanding
4) Low cost methods to do high-end research – enriches creativity
Cons:
1) Time consuming, not highly focused
2) Lack of good education in experiments
3) Not many get opportunity to do research
4) Not many are interested in research – ‘software company: big buck’ attitude
Pros:
1) Desire to understand a problem in depth, significant time spent on a problem
2) Research in groups, sharing of knowledge and resources, big projects
3) Technically superior than US and
4) Emphasis on conferences and proceeding
Cons:
1) Sometimes lack of drive and urgency - 9 to 5 attitude
2) Multiple languages
3) Pro-European preferences in positions
4) Hierarchy, high taxes
Pros:
1) Magnificent drive among students and Profs
2) Group meetings – task driven meeting, deadlines etc.
3) Result oriented – ‘come what may we need to do’ attitude, thrust on applications
4) Competition – ‘do it before someone does’ attitude, if you are good, you thrive…
Cons:
1) Money, money, money – it’s a rat race for funding
2) anti open source – capitalistic view point
3) Indian and Chinese students used as cheap labor
4) ‘Black box’ attitude towards instruments