How to get contacts with foreign researchers?

[serbring]

Hi all,

I'm doing a PostDoc in Mechanical Engineering. I'm rather satisfied with my career, I have different contacts with important firms but unfortunately I have no collaboration with foreign University and I don't know what I can do more because I have my research study and I don't know many other universities which work on a similar topic. How may increase my connections? Could you please share your experience? Any suggestion is really welcome

 

[ZapperZ]

Hi all,

I'm doing a PostDoc in Mechanical Engineering. I'm rather satisfied with my career, I have different contacts with important firms but unfortunately I have no collaboration with foreign University and I don't know what I can do more because I have my research study and I don't know many other universities which work on a similar topic. How may increase my connections? Could you please share your experience? Any suggestion is really welcome

Go back a bit, because you left out A LOT of information.

You said you're doing a "PostDoc", which means that you already have a Ph.D. Here are the stuff that you left out:

1. Shouldn't you have published papers in your area of expertise? You should then know almost all the "big names" and "major players" in your area throughout the world. Why don't you know this already?

2. Haven't you attend conferences? Did you not make contacts during those? After all, these conferences, workshops, etc. is the most effective means to introduce yourself and to establish networking with others in your area.

Zz.

 

[serbring]

Hi ZapperZ,

thanks for your reply. I didn't mention about papers and conferences because I supposed it was obvious I pubblished papers and I attended conferences. I was even granted for the best paper in a conference. Anyway, I don't have any contact in Academia, but many contacts with local firms. My research field was highly studied in late '90s, but then not that much, even if with the new technologies available nowadays, a big step forward could be done. I don't know If I should change a bit my research interest to something more studied or closer to community founding programmes. What do you think?

regards