THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVISERS AND STUDENTS

Considering the influence of graduation courses on the scientific prod uctivity in Brazil, fifty productive Brazilian scientists working in l ife sciences were interviewed about their relationship with their advi sors and their own experience with their students. Admired by freedom and intellectual qualities, by their love and dedication for science, advisors seem to have had a deep influence on their students. This bon d is not free from either an idealized frame or from some complaints a nd conflicts. Interviewed scientists see in themselves lesser qualitie s and faults but the same respect for freedom. Some students are thoug ht to be specially important to the interviewed's productivity. Eldest and most productive scientists seem to be intellectually more impress ed by their advisors than the other groups. The emotional and sometime s strong and idealized bond between advisor and students lead us to be lieve that the stated frequencies of conflicts might be underestimated .