5 reasons why you should go to a research university

What is common among Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, or the University of Tokyo? They are all famous, among many other things, for their robust research-oriented frameworks ranked among the world’s finest. There are many like them that have established a solid reputation in terms of academic publication, research output, and contribution to overall scholarship. What these universities do is that they offer an edge to students and scholars over those from non-research universities by training them in the aspects of scholarly investigation and complementing their learning process with novelty and deep analysis.

While it is up to you to decide whether or not you wish to pursue education from a research university, it is strongly recommended that you do. A degree from a research university is well-received from all quarters of the world and can really add more weight to your education and professional background. Stay here for a while and you shall know more details about what makes a research university a perfect place to develop a future.

1. Top Universities want top researchers
   See the list of the faculty members of any good university or college and you will find each of them having a strong background in research. For example, faculty members of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or National University of Singapore (NUS) have won laurels in research such as Nobel Prizes, Fellowships, or international publications. If you want to make a career in academia whether as a professor or researcher, you will find education from a research university extremely helpful.

2. Coursework is comprehensive
   In any good research university, the focus is to build an analytical and critical temperament. For a researcher, everything is subject to determination and one can only engage in this process through an objective, investigative mind. To ensure that the minds of students are inquisitive, coursework is tailored to incorporate heavy influences from the research world. Students are required to participate in laboratory or field projects, write dissertations, publish papers, and get hands-on experience through internships.

3. Participate in collaborative works to boost your resume
   One of the perks of studying in a research university is that research projects keep coming and students are given ample opportunities to participate. By your participating in collaborative research works, you will be able to meet the who’s who in the research discipline, make connections, gain accolades, and add stars to your resume. A research career grows significantly when you have publications or research collaborations. Of course, all of this will only help you, provided the collaboration yields meaningful results and is not merely a mechanical exercise which, unfortunately, many universities indulge in.

4. Infrastructural upgrades and funding are cherries on top of everything
   One cannot conduct meaningful research in absence of robust infrastructural facilities and active funding. A good research university maintains state-of-art facilities such as well-equipped laboratories, research centers, and a well-maintained and upgraded library among many other things. Moreover, it should be inclined towards funding projects that can potentially contribute to the existing scholarship. With these two, you can invest your time and energy effectively and gain greatly out of this. Many good universities actively involve students in research projects to give them exposure to the know-how of the research world. These students are able to contribute through guided infrastructural and academic supervision that ultimately helps them in the future.

5. Networking becomes vital
   I have already mentioned the gist of it in this article but we need to talk about it more. As a research university takes up collaborative research works from time to time, you will be placed in the same room as many distinguished researchers and professionals. If it is a government project the university has picked up and you are a part of it, you can establish a network with those involved; from government representatives to the team of principal investigators, all of them come with even a great network. The more people you know in the research world, the more benefits you have. Access to information relating to a world of things such as internships, job opportunities, funding opportunities, etc becomes less challenging. Networking will take you places and a research university is quite fertile ground for the same.