The Reality 😳| Princeton to IISc, PhD & Research: An Honest Conversation with Prof. Subroto Mukerjee

Why would a researcher leave Princeton, USA and return to India? What does it really take to pursue a PhD? Does university ranking matter for an academic career? And who is actually NOT meant for a PhD? In this episode of Research Unplugged, I speak with Prof. Subroto Mukerjee, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, about his research journey, experience at Stanford University, returning to India, academic careers, mentoring students, and the realities of pursuing research. We discuss how students can begin their research journey, whether language can be a barrier in interviews and academia, what happens when a student decides to leave a research group, and how researchers can approach the challenges of a PhD. The conversation also explores some fascinating concepts from theoretical condensed matter physics, including magnetic behaviour, phase transitions, strongly correlated systems, and the surprising connection between liquid and magnetic phase transitions. We also discuss quantum computing and the 2025 Nobel Prize in Physics, before ending with an important question for anyone considering research: Who is NOT meant for a PhD? The episode concludes with one piece of advice from Prof. Subroto Mukerjee for young researchers. Chapters: 00:00 — Introduction 02:16 — Research Journey & Academic Career 05:38 — Experience at Princeton University 10:44 — Why Did He Come Back to India? 16:44 — Does Institutional Ranking Matter? 18:44 — Why Is There a QS Top-500 Requirement for Assistant Professors? 21:10 — How Do You Start Guiding a Student in Research? 25:27 — IISc Interview Tips: Is Language a Barrier? 28:44 — What If a Student Decides to Leave the Research Group? 32:44 — A Simple & Beautiful Concept from His Research 38:00 — A Simple Experiment to Understand Magnetic Behaviour 44:11 — Liquid vs. Magnetic Phase Transitions: What's the Connection? 48:22 — What Are Strongly Correlated Systems? 52:40 — Nobel Prize 2025 & Quantum Computing 56:39 — Who Is NOT Meant for a PhD? 01:02:07 — One Piece of Advice for Young Researchers This conversation is especially relevant for undergraduate students, master's students, PhD aspirants, researchers, scientists, physics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in building a career in academia and research. If you enjoyed this conversation, please like the video, share it with someone interested in research, and subscribe to Research Unplugged for more conversations with scientists, researchers, professors, and academics. What was your biggest takeaway from this conversation? KEYWORDS: Subroto Mukerjee, Prof Subroto Mukerjee, Subroto Mukerjee IISc, Subroto Mukherjee, Subroto Mukerjee physics, Subroto Mukerjee podcast, Subroto Mukerjee IISc podcast, IISc professor, IISc Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Indian Institute of Science Bengaluru, IISc Bangalore, IISc Bengaluru, physics professor, physics research, theoretical physics, theoretical condensed matter physics, condensed matter physics, condensed matter research, research in India, Indian scientists, scientists in India, Stanford University, Primceton, Stanford researcher, Stanford to IISc, Stanford to India, why return to India, Indian researchers abroad, PhD in India, PhD advice, PhD life, PhD journey, PhD motivation, PhD career, should I do a PhD, who should do a PhD, who should not do a PhD, research career, academic career, academic career in India, research career in India, how to do research, how to become a researcher, PhD students, young researchers, research students, professor advice, assistant professor India, IISc interview, IISc admission, university ranking, QS ranking, QS top 500, academic jobs in India, magnetic phase transition, phase transition, magnetism, strongly correlated systems, quantum physics, quantum computing, quantum science, quantum mechanics, modern physics, physics explained, science podcast, physics podcast, science podcast India, research podcast, Indian science podcast, scientists podcast, academia India, higher education India #physics #iisc #phd #research #science #quantumphysics #stanford #academia #indianscientists #phdlife #researchcareer #condensedmatterphysics #quantumcomputing #sciencecommunication #highereducation