Posted on by mamothena

Of networking and academic celebrities…

I am going to attend a meeting in a few days featuring all of the people I have ever cited in my proposals and papers. (Well, at least 99.9% of them!). Featuring.  Sounds like a concert or a show. But that’s how it feels. When I first heard that I would have the privilege I was excited, nervous and daunted. And I don’t even have to talk, present or anything!  I will just be in the same room with a lot of people that I admire and who do such important work. I know I will be star struck. This is where my dabbles in theatre will have to pull me through, I have to act cool 🙂

Anyway the show  meeting is about new developments in measurement of maternal, new-born, and child health interventions.  Public health researchers measure interventions so that governments and other stakeholders know if they are giving the right amount of coverage, to the right people, and if they are making a difference. So, this group of people is doing in the real world what I’m dreaming about in my thesis.

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The latest publication by the Countdown to 2030 team, who I consider my inspirations.

The meeting is truly an excellent opportunity for me to network with people who will be instrumental in me fulfilling some of my research objectives. And it’s a small meeting; so much nicer than those broader conference or networking forums where you are thrown into a room and told to “Go forth, find thee thy networks!” However, I can still mess it up…

There are many tips out there about academic networking for upcoming scholars and postgraduate students.  An example is here and here. And here. I even have a cheat sheet:

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Source: Make Networking Work for You

 

Tips are all well and good, but they are not tailored to you. They don’t hold your hand and tell you who to talk to, and what to say; or how to get the most out of your network within your own unique situation. So I am realizing that networking is easier when you actually have something concrete to gain from the interaction.  If, for instance, you are genuinely curious about someone’s work or have questions you think they can help you with — this works much better than attending a conference or meeting to “see how it goes” as far as networking is concerned (I have done this before).  So the plan for this meeting is to NOT just get on everybody’s radar through random conversation. I’m going to “stalk” the participants ahead of time (I have a participants’ list!) and aim for very specific people. I feel more ready just knowing the exact people I want to talk to, because I know WHY as well.

And I think this will work — it MUST work. It is incredibly difficult for people from the Global South to crack the networks and cliques of the Global North. Our work is not ignored because the work sucks, but partly because we haven’t struck a chord or made ourselves stand out while socializing…

So, for me, I hope that changes. And there are other platforms out there. I recently found out about the Emerging Voices for Global Health where young researchers can participate in global symposia and get the training they need to successfully do so.  It seems to be a mixture of self-driven effort (you have to get your symposium abstract accepted on your own) and just the right amount of support (with communication, networking, presentation training and coaching).

So I am looking forward to my meeting and many more similar opportunities.  Let’s rub shoulders with our celebrities until we become them, ha ha. 🙂

Posted on by Mathapelo Seopela

Eureka!

The past couple of months have been very interesting for me, and it’s daunting to know that the year is almost over! For me this means I am getting closer to obtaining my degree, but also that I have made it through home-sickness!

The most important aspect of my time here has been learning. Living and working in an environment that is driven by community engagement, has by far been the highlight of my stay. Through participating in weekly events such as “Science for Citizens” and “Open house”, to volunteering at the “Visitors Centre” at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, I have learnt the importance of actively involving the community in science based learning. These platforms allow researchers and graduate students to show the work they are doing to the community, while encouraging them to learn more about where they live and how they can better understand their impact to the ecosystem. While it may be true that such events are necessary, it also made me aware of something disturbing. In South Africa, past inequalities have translated to severe educational imbalances, meaning there is a truly tiny pool of citizens interested in Science in the first place. Consequently, we have no idea what the current state of the environment is at any given point because we lack the ability to communicate the relevance of our work. Much like our political evolution, science must follow suit. Perhaps it may be too late for senior citizens to learn fundamental science principles, but the generations that follow must be given platforms that expose them to science in action. The inception of such generational wealth, can only be realized when the education system is improved for both learners and teachers, and through active participation by scientists in these programs. For now, inventions, lab experiments and novel ideas must be made simple and applied in areas to assist citizens while educating them.

On a more positive note, I’ve now celebrated my first Halloween! I learnt that this was a day to be scared but also have fun! Subconsciously, this made a lot of sense. It’s perhaps similar to starting your studies, then finding out you’re going to have to leave home and live many kilometers away. At first, such experiences may seem daunting, but as we all know, taking a leap into the abyss has never been a bad thing! I have had much fun, met individuals that have taught me more about myself than they will ever know and participated in some “tourist-like” activities.

In closing, I suppose when we embrace the life that is, and accept the differences among us, we become better human beings. This has been one of those years for me. A journey of many miles, a couple of continents and many more cultures. What remains true is the comfort of knowing that unique character residing in each of us. A girl, who was born in the dusty, cloudy town of eMalahleni, chose to take the oyster and discover her Pearl.