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Seminar by Axele Giroud at Middlesex on networking and external engagement for academic success

My good friend and former colleague Axèle Giroud visited Middlesex University for a seminar in our MLO (Management, Leadership and Organisation) Department's academic skill development series. Her presentation about networking & external engagement [slides download] was very well-received, with participants from across various Middlesex Schools and Faculties, as well as well as other London universities. Her focus on doing meaningful research with societal impact chimed particularly well with the audience. The related blogposts below reflect this theme.

Presentation synopsis

Networking is core to knowledge diffusion. This also applies in the academic context. Of course, to be successful, academics must possess and/or acquire a variety of essential skills and qualities, and emphasis is often placed on the ability to conduct good research and be an excellent teacher and communicator. But what about networking skills? How, when, and why would networking skills help academics be more successful? Drawing on my own experience, in this presentation, I will focus on the importance of networking and developing one’s own academic network, as well as the importance of external engagement. I argue that networking and external engagement constitute complementary skills in building and strengthening one’s research profile and in creating career opportunities for academics. The presentation will include a discussion on selected opportunities and challenges associated with combining academic work with policy-oriented work, and why networking with a variety of stakeholders matters.

Axèle Giroud's bio

Dr Axèle Giroud is Professor of International Business at the Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, and Visiting Professor with the University of Göthenburg, Sweden. Her main research interests are: multinational enterprises' international strategy, MNE economic and social impact in host countries, inter- and intra-firm linkages and networks, technology and knowledge transfers, and Asian Business She previously worked as Senior Economic Affairs Officer for the Division on Investment and Enterprise at UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), and was President of the Euro-Asia Management Studies Association. She has completed several research reports for major organizations such as the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation, the British Department for International Development, the ASEAN Secretariat, the World Bank and the United Nations. She sits on the editorial board of several academic journals and has published extensively in journals such as Journal of World Business, Journal of International Marketing, Asian Business and Management, International Business Review, Management International Review, and World Development.

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Related blog posts

Other Middlesex seminars