How Global Research Collaborations Shape Careers

Vimal Chandra Srivastava, Dean, IIT Roorkee, in an interaction with Higher Education Review, emphasized his thoughts on the growing prominence of international research partnerships. He highlighted that research collaboration prides the institution and increases the capability of students to adapt, respect other cultures, and prepare them for global citizenship. Vimal emphasized the distinctive value of global partnerships in obtaining specialized resources, labs, and datasets, as well as their role in enhancing academic influence, job opportunities, and future potential for advanced research. He further clarified that global partnerships, joint publications, and experiences enable students to thrive within an interconnected research environment.

With wide-ranging academic and research experience, Prof. Dr. Vimal Chandra Srivastava is building international partnerships and advancing sustainable chemical engineering solutions at IIT Roorkee. As Dean of International Relations and Professor of Chemical Engineering, he has facilitated over 100 MoUs, many Double PhD programs and setting up initiatives that significantly impacted IIT Roorkee. Prof. Vimal has been honored as a Fellow of prominent societies in science and award recipient. He is actively engaged in various global research networks as well as involved in sustainability solutions at the energy and environment.

How do international joint research projects enhance the credibility of both students and institutions?

International experience can be incredibly advantageous for students and academic institutions. Collaborative research enables to gain experience in adaptability and cultural competence. For instance, an Indian student on a research project in Europe or Japan may need to adapt to differences in language, and work habits. Such experience affords them increased flexibility, exposure to the global community, and experience working across cultural contexts.

Having global research collaborations at an institution symbolizes the value of quality and the presence of international networks. They contribute to the reputation of the institution as a site of impactful and resourceful research and lead to outputs, such as co-authored articles, patents, or peer-reviewed papers. At this moment, as India is inquiring into semiconductors and strategic minerals, companies and researchers in international research partnerships will be in the position to access funding and build industry relations. This raises the reputation of the institution and raises students' potential to gain employment with internationally recognized firms that are actively trying to attract research talent.

In what ways can collaborating with foreign universities expand access to unique resources, labs, or datasets unavailable locally?

International collaborations are unique in their value, as many countries are now specializing toward their efficiencies in certain areas. For instance, Europe is known for advanced research in biomedical areas, the U.S is a leader in space technology, and Taiwan dominates in semiconductors. Collaborations with institutions in these countries allow an individual to access unique resources such as leading facilities, equipment, and faculty members.

Internationally collaborating academic institutions not only gain access to resources but also receive advice on building equivalent infrastructure in their own local context. Conducting research in partnership during the early phases enables institutions to develop critical knowledge and technical capacity. Furthermore, collaboration extends access to laboratories, datasets, and capacity. In earthquake-prone areas, such as Japan and India, seismic datasets are available. Collaborative research allows universities to share datasets and develop predictive models of disaster events to improve preparedness and mitigation. In summary, collaboration with foreign universities facilitates the sharing of advanced facilities, research data, labs, and, importantly, expertise to encourage innovation, develop capacity, and global knowledge exchange.

Can joint publications with international scholars increase a student’s academic visibility and chances of future funding?

Joint publications improve the visibility and impact of a student’s research through the engagement of international networks and the association with academic leadership. For instance, the student whose work is published with multiple institutions throughout the world can expect their work to receive academic recognition than a student publishing solely within a single institution. Research sharing across diverse networks makes the work accessible to a wider audience, increasing the impact of the work.

These collaborations also promote the student's leadership profile and research cohesion. They indicate to funding organizations and award committees the student's ability to work successfully, and collaboratively within international academic networks, thereby increasing the chances of receiving grants and scholarships that support international collaboration. Additionally, research collaboration provides evidence of research sophistication and demonstrates the student's potential to work effectively in multiple academic and research organizations around the world.

How do employers in different industries perceive international research experience on a CV or resume?

Employers greatly appreciate international research experience, as it represents cross-cultural competence, adaptability, and advanced problem-solving skills. For instance, multinational corporations that operates in a variety of countries such as India, Japan, Australia, or the United States value applicants who have worked on international research projects or had experiences globally.

Research or professional experience at an international level shows that the person is capable of working collectively in diverse teams, working in ambiguity, and solves complex problems across cultures in the workplace. Similarly, multinational corporations are looking for individuals who can operate seamlessly across multiple geographies, which involves flexibility and resilience.

Participating in global research opportunities develops critical thinking skills, which are sought after by multinational companies, consulting firms, NGOs, and government agencies. Consequently, job candidates with global research experience are generally preferred, as they are prepared to be productive in their respective industries and locations.

Does participating in global research projects give students an edge in applying for postgraduate or doctoral programs abroad? What role do international collaborations play in networking and building long-term professional relationships?

Research experiences in another country serve as evidence of the student’s intellectual engagement and willingness to work in a different environment; they also signal the student's ability to succeed in multiple contexts. International research experiences foster key skills such as analytical thinking and problem-solving which lend themselves to pursuit of success in graduate or doctoral study.

These partnerships also assist students in building professional networks with professors, peers, and institutions abroad that extend beyond the learning experience. For students applying to advanced degrees, these networks can be strong references, co-supervised theses and access to international conferences. These relational connections greatly expand the student’s academic portfolio, providing a marked advantage for success compared to peers without international research experience.

How can students identify and approach professors or institutions abroad to initiate collaborative opportunities?

Students can browse faculty profiles on their institution’s website to identify potential researchers among faculty who share the students’ same interests. Reaching out current professors can also be helpful as faculty frequently possess international connections and can facilitate introductions to their collaborators overseas.

Students are advised to read recent literature, identify overlap in research interests, and draft customized short emails to the faculty reporting similar interests and some potential ideas for collaboration. Additionally, expressing an interest in providing support to current projects can significantly improve a student's chance of securing an opportunity with foreign professors.

Attending international conferences whether in India and abroad creates different possibilities for networking, just like participating in online academic thread forums. Since collaboration can take many forms, students are encouraged to pursue numerous strategies for reaching out to professors and institutions outside of the United States, with the goal of developing meaningful international research collaborations.