Education as a Complex System

Abstract

It was a cold rainy day in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Navid was working in his office at E40, one of MIT ’s oldest buildings. E40 used to be a factory in the 1930s and was now hosting a large number of students, researchers, visitors, and faculty members. As a postdoctoral researcher, Navid was sharing an office with another postdoc, a long-time friend. Like many other researchers in temporary positions, they were both looking for tenure-track academic jobs. Navid and his friend had different training and areas of interest, but they shared an opinion on the job outlook: it was not a seller’s market. Each job opening received hundreds of applica- tions, and it was very difficult to compete. Standing near the window and sipping from his cup of coffee, Navid heard Professor Dick Larson knock on the door. Dick was Navid’s supervisor.