Networking strategies for online doctoral students
How to connect with international experts during your PhD or postdoctoral studies

You may be considering taking the next step toward your doctorate, or even a postdoctorate, especially within the field of distance education. In this process, it is essential to recognize an aspect that is often overlooked: the value of being part of global academic networks. Integrating these connections into your studies and research will allow you to broaden your experiences and strengthen your academic profile. By joining an ecosystem with international visibility, you will have the opportunity to interact with researchers and experts from around the world, surrounding yourself with knowledge, collaboration, and constant inspiration.

Today, you can discover what happens at the beginning, during, and at the end of your doctoral or postdoctoral studies, perhaps providing a little more clarity about this process to people like you: those over 35 years of age, with more than one occupation, who study and work at the same time, and who may be enthusiastic about belonging to an international community.

Concerns and expectations

Why a global network?
Finally, if you decide to embark on a distance learning doctoral or postdoctoral program, you are also embarking on a path to break the traditional mold of the imposed classroom. Thus, belonging to an online education network and imposing on your mind a new international logic where collaboration, exchange, and, of course, connectivity are prioritized.

Currently, international collaboration among researchers has been steadily increasing. In recent decades, compared to other areas of science, it has allowed connections to be maintained that transcend national borders. A great example of this is a study that analyzed 22 million articles in approximately 40 countries, revealing that in 2019, one in three articles was co-authored, and those authors had multiple international affiliations, as described by the academic network of Hottenrott et al.

Common questions
How can I be sure that I will get what I need and not just an “online course”?
Is it possible to form meaningful connections when we are doing things remotely?
Will my lifestyle and occupations allow me to live in a global environment?
How much could an international network contribute to my life if I already have a job?

Expectations
You may have an idea of what you expect this experience to be like, but things don't always turn out the way you or the doctoral students want them to. Far from being a negative thing, this is simply different, and it can offer great potential. For this reason, have realistic expectations within the possible scenarios:

Collaborating with other researchers from multiple countries
Participating in virtual seminars
Publishing jointly
Greatly expanding your academic visibility
The reality is that it will require initiative, discipline

and efficient use of digital tools to try to coordinate schedules and envision the strategy to apply with your network of contacts.

What could you do before taking the first step?
Before you start, research doctoral and postdoctoral programs that promote international participation and collaborations among a global academic community. Be disciplined, prepare your networking channels, identify experts and research groups, and find virtual conferences that are relevant to your research topic.

As mentioned above, set expectations that are clear and consistent with who you are. How many new connections do I plan to make per quarter? What value do I want to contribute and obtain from these networks? Related to this, try to keep your schedule clear. Like any professional who works while studying, you must have well-defined times when you will train, collaborate, and actively participate in your academic community.

In the midst of the process, evaluate potential problems, setbacks, and tips

Frequently occurring problems
Missing face-to-face interactions:
At first, this tends to affect many people, as it creates a feeling of isolation and loneliness if the environment is not in tune with their research.

Being able to organize your time correctly:
Coordinating your professional, family, and educational life is a challenge in itself, which is why you will most likely not be able to participate in every event you would like to attend, almost always due to international time zones.

When technological tools and time zones come together:
Coordinating with professionals and experts from other countries can be difficult, with inconvenient schedules, connection problems, and new platforms to adapt to. However, it is ideal to learn about emerging technologies that will transform your PhD research over the next five years

Be more visible in your field: As a professional over 35, you may at some point feel a sense of competition against younger people with more experience, which is natural, but you should always remember that your career path is not an obstacle but an asset.

Ways to make the most of your experiences
Plan your schedule:
You can start with 30 to 60 minutes per week, during which you devote yourself entirely to participating in international forums or a discussion group within the program.

Make virtual learning your greatest advantage:
Studying online also has its advantages, such as not having to travel, which is why you can engage in global networks much more easily than usual.

Try to be open to collaborations:
Seek to participate in projects that give you the opportunity to be a co-author, join online chats, and you will be able to get some unexpected academic collaboration online, and virtual presentations. Your professional experience can be highly valued.

Cultivate the international academic visibility you need:
It is a seed that can be planted with something as simple as sharing your profile on research platforms. That way, you can collaborate with others and participate in global networks, generating international academic exchange. For example, the Scholars at Risk network has more than 650 institutions in over 40 countries.

Protect your relationship with supervisors and other doctoral colleagues:
Virtuality does not make this any less important. Maintain this relationship through regular meetings and progress reports, which are also a way to get feedback, even from academic associations.

Adjust to the time zone:
this is an unavoidable factor when collaborating with colleagues from other countries, as schedules can vary. Be understanding, but be sure to set boundaries, as these will help you get enough rest and perform well.

Ways you can build your network during your studies
Find ways to connect with international experts, at least three to five relevant ones outside your country and institution. You could send a brief email introducing yourself and mentioning your research topic, and perhaps ask them what they think about it. Similarly, it would be very beneficial to participate in an event on a quarterly basis.

Also, keep in mind how important it is to publish or co-publish, whether it is a short publication or chapter, as this can connect you with people who will later become part of your global network. In this way, you will gradually build a personal network that will grow over the quarters and years of experience. So make a list of your contacts, note what they contribute, when you will reconnect, and what feedback they can provide.

After graduating, what to do and how to stay in touch. What now?

What now?
At this point, graduation seems like the end of a long journey through doctoral and postdoctoral studies; the truth is that it is only the beginning of something new, another facet to discover and experience, a new chapter, and thanks to the connections you have already made, it will be much easier. Now the challenge is to turn those connections into real opportunities, possible publications, an international project thanks to the nature of your doctorate, participation in committees, conferences, and consulting.

Actions that help you maintain and strengthen your network
Keep your profile up to date:
You must ensure that your resume on the different platforms is worthy of your degree, your area of research, and your research collaboration. This applies to each of the networks you have, such as LinkedIn, ORCID, and ResearchGate.

Build your own agenda to maintain that network:
Every so often, perhaps every six months, review and recall those key contacts. You can even send an email, share some recent results, and ask if there is a possibility of collaboration with the higher education network.

You can even participate as a reviewer and mentor:
This way, you can give back a little of what the academic community has given you by helping new doctoral students, reviewing articles, and giving guest lectures. It is also an excellent way to contribute to the global community.

The long-term benefits
If you apply everything outlined above, building your academic legacy while pursuing your doctorate will enrich you not only locally but also on a universal level, making you relevant anywhere in the world. In other words, it will open many doors to high-impact publications, editorial committees, and possible collaboration with centers of excellence and international research networks.

Global networks tend to be an established agent of research clubs, and belonging to one of these is almost a promise of visibility and credibility, which can translate into opportunities to establish yourself. This type of collaboration has been increasing over the last 50 years. However, within this academic-industrial world, the network you build is definitely a factor that will set you apart from others, allowing you to move up, opt for a change of sector, and lead cross-cutting projects.

Staying connected is key

It is clear that studying for a PhD or postdoctorate online while maintaining and advancing your career and family life, added to the fact that you are probably over 35 years old, does not have to be an obstacle. On the contrary, it can be an advantage that allows you to compete academically, and by consciously integrating online academic networks, you elevate your education, turning it into an extremely rich, connected experience with exponential international reach.

From the moment you begin your preparation, through the development of your studies, until you enter graduate school and maintain your network, every step requires and demands strategic, clear, and well-founded attention, but especially a great deal of perseverance. For all these reasons, we invite you to consider that degree as an initial opening, but let your global network be the bridge that connects all of this, one between new opportunities and academic and professional influence. Don't forget that your country is no longer a limitation; knowledge transcends that. You can collaborate, publish, and connect with experts and colleagues from anywhere in the world, thus marking your path and legacy.