The assiduous Dr Giroud came to Middlesex University to discuss networking for academic success, for which I, personally, was very grateful. Academics are known to be introverts and the networking aspect can be daunting. The below is a reflection of her presentation in the frame of self-reflective questions that any writer, researcher, academic can ask him/herself. These questions are my interpretation of the talk that was organised by Prof Anne-Wil Harzing and Prof Terence Jackson.
Workshop 8: Rocket Science? Networking and External Engagement for Academic Success. A presentation by Dr Axèle Giroud
Key reflective questions:
Values
- What are your convictions?
- What are your professional values?
- What personal values are not to be compromised?
Goals
- What are your goals over 20 years?
- What do you want to achieve and how?
- What kind of leadership motivates you?
Field of interest
- What is the area that interests you?
- In what topic would you like to be (known as) an expert?
Research coherency
- What projects are you working on at the moment?
- What is the coherent narrative behind your (unpublished) papers?
Networking
- How do you want to communicate your work?
- Who are the stakeholders?
- How will you gain: 1) enjoyment 2) validity 3) learning?
- In what practical ways can you network to enhance/better the following:
- Reputation
- Collaboration
- Humanity/Life
Room for improvement
- What is the most challenging aspect of being an academic for you personally?
- How can you develop this?
An important question that is important to me personally and also in terms of as a research interest is whether we experience ‘person-environment fit’ and sense of belonging. Our environment can be the organisation but can also be our field of research or our choice of vocation. Doing some reflective exercises such as the above can help (re)focus on where we’d like to be in life.
