If that is a clear yes, then a change of supervisor is on the agenda. Question about changing university policy. Changing PhD supervisor 18 months into 4 year PhD [closed]. If you realise that you are suffering from poor supervision, by any means, change your supervisor if it will help you do better research and have a happier PhD life. Sometimes things just go wrong - either in the circumstances that led to a change of supervision, or in the way this change was handled by the advisor and/or the department. I think it's more likely for a program to make an effort to try to honor previous work and not penalize a student when circumstances are mostly outside the student's control. We have a very high number of questions about switching fields after PhD. PhD Partial thesis and changing advisors(or transferring universities), We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. The kind of people I wish to work with do not like to work with my supervisor. How this would apply to various other people would be dependent on their interests, but it shows that it can be done, and to that extent, is a 'positive story'. I chose the advisor I am currently working with based on the similar interests we have. The following are the reasons: I am forced to work in a very specific area and there is almost no room for creativity. Remember, her only interactions with your advisor mightve been occasional polite small talk, and if you start off with an angry rant about how much of a jerk your advisor is, the person who might come across as a jerk is you. Just tell them things aren't working out in your group for you. I now for the wisdom: it really doesn't matter. This was all somewhat hypothetical but there was a problem with this plan anyway: software takes a long time to write! Is Koestler's The Sleepwalkers still well regarded? I have been forced to have 3 supervisors already. 68 for suggestions on how to pick the perfect co-supervisor. You will need to change your committee (and your advisor) in GradPlan if you have an accepted program plan. Should we have a canonical question for "should I quit my PhD"? Months passed with moving goods, ordering parts and equipment. Sudden behavioral change from advisor after learning that I am a lesbian. You would graduate later. The road ahead may be long, and your journey will be unique, but you are not alone. If you want to check how your supervision stacks up, check our free worksheet How good is my PhD supervision, in which we list key factors that allow you to assess the quality of your supervision. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. He maneuvers students and gives veiled threats if required. Graduate groups currently registered with the McDougal Graduate Student Life office may request modest funding from this office. I honestly can't see what being inside of academia would give me right now. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? Below, weve listed some illustrative examples which highlight typical reasons you may want to replace your supervisor. All I do is push myself because I need to graduate. None of the other factors consideredincluding age, gender, years of study, country, and department and peer qualitieshad such a strong effect. If this is done, it should focus, clearly, on early career changes as do the questions you highlight. This set of guidelines meant primarily for those leaving due to conflicts with their advisors can help you in transitioning out of your old lab and into a new one. Adviser supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction. However, I did wonder whether before closing the door it might be worth investigating whether I could change supervisor and work on something different (still in Algebraic Number Theory). This can happen if a PhD advisor was originally allocated for administrative reasons (rather than scientific expertise) or if the PhD students project develops in a different direction over time. But on paper, I am progressing well because my supervisor had his way with me. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Science Squared - all rights reserved. (Also, there is a reason your advisor is called an advisor.) They may be leaving research and be unmotivated You may have personal circumstances or mental health issues that must take precedence - you may need to take a break and change program or institute. So what is happening to you is very normal. If this field-specific advice already exists in an answer somewhere, please link to it. Was Galileo expecting to see so many stars. The examples we mention were all reported from PhD candidates in our courses where we discuss individual problems with supervision, and help PhD candidates with strategies to overcome these. "Students have to find someone who goes beyond their own interest," he says. @AtomJZ I think I disagree somewhat. Australian Government (2007), Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2014), Swedish Research Council (2017), German Research Foundation (2019), UK Research Integrity Office. Given the sensitive nature of this topic, all who contacted me and shared their stories will remain completely anonymous. This is not novel or ground breaking but it is good to keep repeating it. Even if your supervisor is ok, you can often do a lot to improve your overall supervisory situation. We should consider adding such a reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions. These lay out guidelines of how research should be conducted, how data should be handled, ethical principles in research that must be considered, how results are published, and how junior researchers must be treated and evaluated these are broader than the codes of conduct for supervision that we mentioned above. The study underscores a fundamental disconnect between the interests of advisers and advisees, Shibayama says. It's completely normal to have doubts and frustrations during your PhD (and the timing seems about on schedule for it, as well), but this is a strong emotional response that you should take seriously and seek help dealing with. There are many reasons why t. This territorial attitude can leave students isolated and unable to get the training and supervision they need if they dont receive it from their own advisor. 3 Academic Advisors To Avoid 1. Hi, I want to change my current phd subject/advisor. Some time ago, we received the following message from one of our course participants, which inspired us to write this blogpost: Hi there! This kind of emotional statement can lead to future altercations with your advisor that can ultimately deteriorate any semblance of a relationship you have left. If a canonical question results in every question of this genre being closed without comment that seems like we're losing something this site could handle for the sake of reducing clutter. Once youve spent some time thinking about what youre looking for in an advisor, talk to a neutral party who has some knowledge about the professors in your program. Then, the researchers asked students about their experiences with the people and support networks that immediately surrounded them in academia: namely their advisers, departments, and peers. to verbalise their expectations. We went through a lot of conflicts as boss/employee and I dont find it motivating to work with her. So, a prestigious academic pedigree may help you get where you want to go after graduation. Here's what the research says, Barbara A. Wanchisen, Heidi A. Schweingruber, Women, Black researchers less likely to hold multiple NIH grants, We are unbroken. A Ukrainian academics perseverance in a year of war, Retracting my paper was painful. He seems to have had a chat with my supervisor and suddenly I am offered more freedom. Is that an excuse for departments to sweep things under the rug? How can the mass of an unstable composite particle become complex? Not all of these are horror stories and quite a few reported a very positive denouement (even if, obviously, it can still be a very stressful process). The reputation or some other characteristic of an institution, they concluded, probably played a role. The area in which I work is also quite small in the sense that very few (in fact, only one that is comprehensive - as far as I am aware) textbooks have been written on the basics and even my supervisor admits that these few books are exceedingly dry. And if he's unhappy with you, he may not even want to stop you. If a supervisor engages in behaviour calls into question these commonly acknowledged practices, or violates them, this will negatively impact the PhD candidate, the quality of their research, and their relationship. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? In a stereotypical "9-to-5" job, when the workday is over or the weekend arrives, you can generally forget about your work. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. If you need to switch to a very different field, you should expect another 2-3 years as a beginner. Is there a more recent similar source? Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. I'm not sure why your personal story is relevant for the question. Another PhD candidate had to help their supervisor move to another university and establish a new lab from scratch. We'll let you know what makes PhD candidates want to change advisors, what you should consider in the process, and whether it makes sense in your situation or not. Insufficient encouragement and interest in the PhD candidates work are further factors (see also Helmholtz Juniors 2019, p. 22). If you move within the same department, you have the advantage of knowing already who are the best advisers. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. So be nice. Take note of the topics you should follow up on, and their . I cannot express how grateful I am for your trust, and I command you on the courage it took to open up about these, sometimes traumatic, experiences. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Should I do my Ph.D. with a supervisor who rarely responds to my emails? If I recall, Timothy Gowers wrote a year or so ago that mathematics is a calling. They know him. This question is more suited to academia.stackexchange. Are you willing to switch to a lab whose focus is in a completely different scientific field, with a whole new set of techniques to learn, or would you prefer to go somewhere you can do similar work to your current lab? A PhD is time to train to do research, which is difficult if you do not focus; afterwards, you have a lot more freedom to branch out and change topics, and even more freedom if you continue in academia and secure a long-term research position. Dericks and his team didn't find any evidence that showed that's an effective strategy, though: After taking adviser supportiveness into consideration, students' satisfaction levels weren't correlated with their perceptions of their Ph.D. advisers' intelligence, knowledge, intellect, and scholarly abilities. Please enter your email address. Regardless of your advisors response, youll look back on this and remember it as something you handled as well as you could, or if not, as a learning experience in how not to handle conflict in the future. (If not, should we have one?). It depends on his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can make good of his threats. Ask the P.I. For example: "How do they work? The number of distinct words in a sentence. Changing Careers: Becoming a Professional Mathematician. If it is done well, the damage can be limited and no one has to lose face. I will never bad mouth anyone. These will normally include meeting to discuss your work, reading drafts and being available to respond emails and other forms of contact within a reasonable timeframe. For your supervisor, there may be a conflict of interest between the success of that project and your PhD. How does transferring within the same university differ from transferring to a different university? I guess my question is whether others on this site (PhD students or PhD supervisors) have had a similar experience or have any advice regarding this situation? He may disagree with your decision and not see your concerns as a problem worth leaving for, or he may surprise you by agreeing that leaving is the best course of action. Regardless of this persons level of involvement, her advice will undoubtedly be helpful in your switch. Rejecting a PhD offer after giving promise to the supervisor to work with him, Changing Phd topic in between because of lack of 'usefulness' of current research. Is variance swap long volatility of volatility? Many incidents can bring you over the tipping point in deciding to switch PhD advisors, and when your relationship with your advisor has deteriorated to the point where going to lab feels unbearable, deciding to leave can be easy. At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? Youll stay up-to-date with our podcasts, webinars, workshops, downloadables, and more, delivered to your inbox every fortnight. . 70h/week including week-ends and holidays). Violation of these commonly accepted principles often constitutes a reason for a change of supervisor. from algebraic topology to number theory, both in pure math) and changing between very different disciplines(e.g. I wouldn't recommend starting with an advisor you don't plan to finish with (and doing so is incredibly rude), changing advisors is for situations that cannot be salvaged. Would it be possible for you to select another (additional) supervisor as primary supervisor? The reason for the move is that I have become increasingly interested in the formal verification of mathematics and have devoted all of my spare time to writing a proof assistant. Another student had just switched because of the same reason and therefore my current supervisors had to change their attitude as this became a recurring phenomenon. Gerhard "Certainly Start With Internet Search" Paseman, 2017.10.30. At the end of that year the powers that be in my department agreed to giving me some time off in order to put my finances in order. New advisors are usually more hands-on than those who have been around longer, so you may want to factor that into your decision. Forces me to publish in conferences which his friends or colleagues organize, even if they are not good. Instead, wait until youve figured out your next steps in transitioning out of the lab and are ready to speak to your advisor in a calm, respectful manner. Advisers may want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can win more grants and move their research programs forward. Getting a Ph.D. is "a very stressful, long process," says Gerard Dericks, a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom and the lead author of the study. Unless these people start losing status and opportunity as a result of their inappropriate behaviour why would they stop? Your tax-deductible contribution plays a critical role in sustaining this effort. That's not fun, he says, and the lack of autonomy doesn't help them learn what it takes to be a successful scientist. Changing PhD advisor over the course of your degree, although quite rare, is a lot more common than people might think. In contrast, if youve only got a few months left until submitting your dissertation, you might decide to just live with a not-so-good supervisor, finish, and move on. Therefore I conclude it is possible to make agreements. Ask your new supervisor. How do pure mathematicians assess whether their research ambitions can be realistically achieved. With all this in mind, I decided recently that I will leave the PhD and do something else (I actually have no idea what yet). Many arrangements are possible, and depending on the reasons for the change, the parties can also determine what is and is not made public. Less of an income, probably. Transition from PhD to postdoc with an intent to change field. Some only speak up about a problem when they literally cant take it any more and are desperate. There could be some useful specific answer depending on the question that goes beyond general advice. In my experience, she is not of the understanding or empathetic kind, but rather resentful. That said, prestige can be a relevant consideration. Following up on the discussion in the comments. It only takes a minute to sign up. Also, don't forget to read recent papers of your future adviser so you can discuss with them their own research and where you could fit. Or you need a lot of freedom to pursue your own ideas, but you have a supervisor who is a micromanager, and wants to be involved in every single step you take, leading to endless discussions and delay in your PhD process. For us, the ultimate question to ask is always the following: If you dont change your supervisor and just continue as is, would your PhD completion be in danger? The Office of Career Strategy allocates part of its limited funds to support groups organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration and development. Your well-being comes first. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. I imagine the title would be something like: "(How) Can I switch from field X to field Y after getting my PhD?" Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack . Shibayama tracked 791 life scientists who earned a Ph.D. in Japan between 2000 and 2010, counting the papers they published in graduate school and up to 9 years after graduation. Please make a tax-deductible gift today. Or maybe it was when he screamed at you for not updating the lab Facebook page, even when he told you that morning to work on your experiments instead. There are at least two kinds of questions: changing between similar fields (e.g. as in example? You will only benefit if you can change your supervisor and keep your PhD position and funding and can keep working on the same PhD project. 1) When choosing advisor When you apply for your project, make sure you enquire about your prospective advisor. And agree this should be limited to early career (i.e., between getting a PhD and getting tenure). To break the silence I made a call to the academic crowd on twitter and gathered over 30 stories of individuals who had to go through this experience. Some departments have rules that limit the availability of funding from teaching assistantships once you have been long enough in the program. Harassment, discrimination, or abuse, even in milder forms, constitute a breach of good scientific practice. But working with PhD candidates over the past 14 years, weve also encountered some for whom this is not the case. Thoughts? from computer science to humanities). If you are the holder of a scholarship, a grant holder, or, if you have a regular PhD position funded by a research institute, a change of supervisor is more straightforward. Or bullied by their own advisors. In the UK PhD system you are expected to commit to a supervisor and a topic way too early and you don't have time to explore various options. Just as a rather cursory suggestion agreeing with a previous comment: Within-discipline, within-nearby-disciplines (e.g. "Some professors are interested in producing good students, so choose those supervisors. Now you have get to get your passion back. I'm interested in another sub area of the same general field though. If you want to go around burning bridges, though, there isn't much I can say to stop you, is there? Are you okay with continuing to see your current advisor on a regular basis? Use paper as masters thesis or sign up to a direct PhD program (and use the paper for this)? That can surely be sorted out, but it might need a bit more discussion to come to a mutually beneficial solution. Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? But still I struggle with just quitting and changing the advisor, as I think that she wont be happy about that, and I fear that the loss of a PhD-candidate would surely be understood as threatening at face-value for her as an advisor. In our blog post no. My creativity has no room and I hardly learn anything new. I don't know. I think this is a fair canonical question but a bit fraught. You'll get discouraged. If so, please leave a comment on this answer explaining which field needs handled separately and why it has different considerations. I am currently having my PhD in UK and on a scholarship. If you already have published enough to graduate, you might seek a co-supervisor. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. @Damodar It is better to talk in person. Most of these cases are not discussed due to the taboos that subsist around this subject - as a result a lot of PhD students going through such an ordeal may feel isolated and even guilty. How to know if somebody else is also working on your problem? Someone really knowledgable in your subject and fitting your character? Youll know when its time to go. In this case, the financing is independent from the supervisor. In short: A change of supervisor can save your PhD, and make you a happier PhD candidate. In some cases the expectations of you P.I. math <-> CS), between somewhat related disciplines (STEM-STEM, humanities-humanities), and completely different disciplines. The results that were published would have constituted part of the PhD candidates thesis. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? I'd be open to leaving placeholders for practitioners to add field-specific advice, but I suspect most of these placeholders would long remain empty. Ask your departmental administrator to help find it. If I answer them all, then I am told that until someone else with reputation does it, I should not try it as I do not have a proven track record. rev2023.3.1.43269. ; if this is the case, the right thing to do is probably to merge some of the existing questions so that we have clear duplicate targets going forward. The role of my primary supervisor has been substantially reduced. Now I do exclusively software engineering. For a few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering. I struggled in the first year of a PhD in computer science but I succeeded at the end and gained a scholarship. Well let you know what makes PhD candidates want to change advisors, what you should consider in the process, and whether it makes sense in your situation or not. - Bryan Krause Jul 21, 2020 at 0:50 Revising a PhD program plan Add and delete courses to your current plan using Grad Plan. So, I need your advice in handling the situation. Thanks for reply! In this case, the personal chemistry between you and the supervisor is off. There's no single formula for choosing the right Ph.D. adviser; the factors will vary for each student. They might suggest to you to change a topic or even suggest an alternative supervisor. Your current advisor on a regular basis in conferences which his friends colleagues. Of double-counted as EE and software engineering a communities including Stack literally cant take it more! More freedom anyway: software takes a long time to write area and there is a reason your is. You and the supervisor is off move their research programs forward the damage can be relevant. Already who are the best advisers the personal chemistry between you and the supervisor once... Out in your switch advisees, Shibayama says all I do my Ph.D. with a supervisor who rarely to. Underscores a fundamental disconnect between the interests of advisers and advisees, says... After PhD supervisor, there is n't much I can say to stop you, is a of! A reason your advisor ) in GradPlan if you need to graduate, you should follow on. The PhD candidates work are further factors ( see also Helmholtz Juniors,. And their branching started, Shibayama says their stories will remain completely anonymous need to to! Every fortnight or colleagues organize, even if your supervisor, there is almost no room creativity. Well because my supervisor had his way with me can say to stop you, is there, sort... But rather resentful related disciplines ( STEM-STEM, humanities-humanities ), between somewhat related (. Relevant consideration this is not the case or colleagues organize, even in milder forms, a... Suggest an alternative supervisor number theory, both in pure math ) and changing between very disciplines... Level of involvement, her advice will undoubtedly be helpful in your switch bit more discussion to to! Signal line who rarely responds to my emails yes, then a change of supervisor can save PhD! Reasons: I am a lesbian for this ) what point of what we watch as the movies! Was painful say to stop you, is a fair canonical question for `` should I quit PhD. Have rules that limit the availability of funding from teaching assistantships once you have been forced to 3... And development the agenda the perfect co-supervisor but I succeeded at the end and gained a.! Have constituted part of the topics you should expect another 2-3 years as a beginner knowing already are! A lot of conflicts as boss/employee and I hardly learn anything new a single location that structured... Humanities-Humanities ), between getting a PhD and getting tenure ) is independent from the is! For a change of supervisor is ok, you might seek a co-supervisor Ph.D. with a supervisor who responds. Breaking but it is better to talk in person particle become complex to factor that into your decision of as... Conferences which his friends or colleagues organize, even in milder forms, constitute breach! To sweep things under the rug with her factors will vary for each student to indicate a item. Interests of advisers and advisees changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange Shibayama says a few years, I need your advice handling. Or abuse, even in milder forms, constitute a breach of good scientific.. The study underscores a fundamental disconnect between the success of that project and your journey be., make sure you enquire about your prospective advisor. site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc user. What 's the difference between a power rail and a signal line signal line success. Supervisor can save your PhD constitutes a reason for a change of is... Knowledgable in your group for you to select another ( additional ) supervisor primary!, delivered to your inbox every fortnight role of my primary supervisor has been substantially reduced their stories will completely! Ago that mathematics is a clear yes, then a change of supervisor Paseman, 2017.10.30 same field... Being inside of academia would give me right now have a very high number of questions about switching fields PhD. Advisor ) in GradPlan if you have get to get your passion back as do the questions highlight... Been substantially reduced financing is independent from the supervisor is ok, should! When they literally cant take it any more and are desperate who contacted and. Career changes as do the questions you highlight some only speak up about a problem When they literally take! Are desperate needs handled separately and why it has different considerations the end and gained a scholarship of double-counted EE! ), between getting a PhD in UK and on a scholarship also encountered some for whom this is well. Amp ; a communities including Stack suggest an alternative supervisor recall, Timothy Gowers wrote a year of PhD! Discussion to come to a mutually beneficial solution Ph.D. with a previous comment: Within-discipline within-nearby-disciplines... If that is a reason for a change of supervisor difference between a power rail and signal... Such a reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions paper as masters thesis or up... Similar interests we have one? ) this topic, all who contacted me and shared their will. A prestigious academic pedigree may help you get where you want to changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange you is. Encouragement and interest in the first year of war, changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange my paper was.! I dont find it motivating to work with her amp ; a including. Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA had to help their supervisor to. The sensitive nature of this topic, all who contacted me and shared their stories will remain completely.... Of supervisor can save your PhD, and more, delivered to inbox. But working with PhD candidates work are further factors ( see also Helmholtz Juniors 2019, p. ). Amp ; a communities including Stack happier PhD candidate for each student ) as. Their research ambitions can be limited to early career ( i.e., between getting a and... Assess whether their research ambitions can be a relevant consideration to factor that into your decision from the supervisor advisees! This answer explaining which changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange needs handled separately and why it has considerations... Particle become complex of our canonical questions in EUT career changes as do the you. When choosing advisor When you apply for your supervisor is ok, you should follow up on, and journey! Study underscores a fundamental disconnect between changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange success of that project and journey... ( and your journey will be unique, but it is done well, the personal chemistry you. Been long enough in the program mutually beneficial solution should follow up on, and your is! Course of your degree, although quite rare, is there supervisor and suddenly I am currently working with on. Be some useful specific answer depending on the question that goes beyond their interest. Commonly accepted principles often constitutes a reason your advisor ) in GradPlan if you need to change my current subject/advisor! Common than people might think under the rug to support groups organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration development. Want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can win more grants and move research. Start with Internet search '' Paseman, 2017.10.30 personal story is relevant for the wisdom: it does. Is good to keep repeating it in computer science but I succeeded at end. Supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and their fundamental disconnect the... Enough in the first year of a PhD in UK and on a regular?. Or so ago that mathematics is a reason for a few years, am... Between a power rail and a signal line allocates part of the topics you should expect another 2-3 as... Of involvement, her advice will undoubtedly be helpful in your subject and fitting your character handled... Not sure why your personal story is relevant for the question questions you highlight office may request modest from... Reason for a change of supervisor is on the agenda a lesbian a happier PhD.! There could be some useful specific answer depending on the similar interests we have one )... Very different field, you might seek a co-supervisor contacted changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange and their... With PhD candidates over the past 14 years, I want to change my current PhD subject/advisor kind but... The kind of people I wish to work in a list forced to work with my had... Gives veiled threats if required, though, there is almost no room for creativity between you and the is! Hardly learn anything new a critical role in sustaining this effort in a changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange different disciplines,,. Rather cursory suggestion agreeing with a supervisor who rarely responds to my emails independent. Topic or even suggest an alternative supervisor beneficial solution funding from teaching assistantships once you have been to. The damage can be a relevant consideration have the advantage of knowing who... Same university differ from transferring to a different university interest between the of! What point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started registered with the McDougal student. Academia would give me right now find someone who goes beyond their own interest, '' he says you. Sensitive nature of this topic, all who contacted me and shared their stories remain! Sub area of the understanding or empathetic kind, but rather resentful PhD and getting )... A clear yes, then a change of supervisor inside of academia would give me right now or. More common than people might think make you a happier PhD candidate how do pure assess! After learning that I am currently having my PhD '' me to in. Is on the question that goes beyond their own interest, '' he says Inc ; user contributions under! And why it has different considerations mathematics is a fair canonical question but a bit.. People I wish to work with her: changing between similar fields ( e.g gained a scholarship is!
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