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Monthly Members' Newsletter

Welcome to this edition of the Defence Research Network newsletter!

Hello there! As October comes to a spooky end we are excited to present our latest newsletter focusing on the theme of "Networking." This edition invites you to explore the importance of building connections within our Defence Research Network community and beyond.

This month, we feature reflections from our members, who share their experiences with networking and the valuable relationships they've cultivated in their academic and professional journeys. Their insights highlight how effective networking can enhance collaboration, support, and opportunities in our field.

Our community section is buzzing with activity, and you can catch up on these updates below. We also encourage you to explore the events and opportunities section, where you’ll find new networking events and conferences that could be beneficial for your professional development.

Finally, thank you all for your valuable contributions. Your insights are essential to the success of our network, and we always welcome your ideas or submissions for upcoming themes.

Happy networking!

Tegan Watt Harrison
Newsletter Editor
Defence Research Network

Does the idea of networking bring you over in a cold sweat?
Are you new to academia and not sure how to network?

If the answer is yes to either of these, check out the blog 'Practice makes perfect and other networking tips for academics' by Eleanor Hennige courtesy of the Times Higher Education. It includes tips for face-to-face networking as well as networking online.

                                 

What are you currently working on?

These days, I am working on an EU project focused on Countering Foreign Interference with EU ISS. I focus on how EU missions can better address Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in their work abroad and how we can ensure resilience and a value-adding contribution to countering such efforts. I have worked on hybrid threats in different contexts. Still, with the shifts in the contemporary security paradigm since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it is an exceedingly timely and appropriate topic to dig into again.

I am part of a great team at EU ISS, and since everyone has so many interesting irons in the fire, I can only recommend that you check out the CFI project and tune in on the excellent outputs from the project.

What got you into your field of study in the first place?

Some are blessed with a vision of what they want to do in life and can commit to this at a very young age. I was no such person. Growing up, school was never a big hit, so my ambitions rose no higher than a military career. While I did manage that, it also became clear that life had more to offer than uniformed service and that fresh new challenges were out there. Once I returned from the War in Afghanistan, I had to revisit my trajectory, and it was not an easy task.

My first ideas for a new path in life were centred around IT and a sound technical mindset, but it became pretty clear to me that while interesting, it was not for me. After a short midlife crisis, I realised I could pursue studies in topics I was excited about, such as international relations, diplomacy, and security.

At age 28, I started a Bachelor of Social Sciences at Tallinn University in Estonia. Where adolescent Alex was struggling in school, adult Alex had much more success and thrived with the academic challenges through these studies. My ambitions were at the time primarily inspired by movies such as The Sum of All Fears, so my idea was to find a Master’s degree that would enable a career as an Intelligence or Defence Analyst. During my studies, my professors pushed me more toward Diplomacy. I refocused and eventually settled on an Advanced Master of Science in International Relations & Diplomacy at Leiden University in the Netherlands.

In retrospect, this was the perfect pivot for me, as it broadened my profile significantly and gave me a lot of new practical tools that have proven to be immensely useful in my career.

What was your path to where you are now?

As I graduated with my MSc, I was shy of turning 32, so I was too old to qualify for any of the entry-level programmes we should normally strive for. I knew this was bound to be a factor, so armed with patience and determination, I started a consultancy firm to build my professional reputation and expand my network.

At the same time, I pushed extremely hard to get into the field, reaching out to different organisations, sweet-talking my way into dozens of coffee meetings and getting a lot of insights into the field. My key objective was a diplomatic career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. However, I was repeatedly rejected due to age/experience – I was no longer fresh and mouldable and thus not an ideal match.

Through cheeky outreach to the HR representatives, I secured a longer talk with a HR Rep after several attempts at ministerial positions. I was directed to an expert roster within the ministry I had never heard of. The roster seldomly took candidates in, but with some persistence, I managed to get in on a wild card, and after some intensive certifications, I was shipped off to Mogadishu to test my mettle.

How has networking influenced your career development? What role does it play in academic success?

For me, networking has been a critical enabler – many of the opportunities I have gotten over the years have been based on networking, and a strong network is always beneficial. Over the years, I have gotten several positions, projects, conference invitations, and speaking engagements through my network, and I love it when these happen.

Right now, I have a relatively large network. The active part is based on my real-life connections, but of course, I also have developed a rather sizeable passive network on LinkedIn through my endeavours there. Both have offered fantastic opportunities that are extremely valuable to me personally and professionally.

A solid network can be a considerable asset, whether you actively leverage it or passively enjoy it. I highly recommend investing time and effort into building sustainable relations with people you meet professionally. It can be a taxing social endeavour, but its value can be incredible.

                  

How did you come up with the “IR Career Starter” monthly newsletter, and what was its purpose?

The current newsletter is the third iteration of sharing opportunities but by far the most successful. I think I started about 5 or 6 years ago with these monthly compilations of opportunities. Back in the day, it was a few dozen jobs in a post, then it became paste-bins with fifty to one hundred positions, and when LinkedIn launched its newsletter format, it exploded from there.

Back then, I was incredibly frustrated with the lack of support in the field. I found that universities were doing a poor job at preparing graduates in our field for the job market, and online, there was just very little help to be found at the time. In other fields, you have a title to go by, or you have a function that is narrowly defined; for IR and its many subsets, it is not always the case. So, mapping the field is a huge challenge that we all have to face when we start the job hunt, and this was actually at the core of beginning the IR Career Starters.

The newsletter serves two purposes: to link specific opportunities with individual candidates and to inspire those looking for jobs in our field on where and what to look for. Ideally, subscribers will bookmark pages independently and check them much more frequently than I do to ensure a steady flow of relevant opportunities and possibilities for advancement as they move along. I specifically focus on the 0-3 years of experience segment, so we are talking about internships, traineeships, fellowships, and entry/early-career positions. After a few years of relevant experience, you will stand much stronger in leveraging your way to new challenges.

How did networking help you to make the "IR Career Starter" a successful newsletter?

So, for free and fully accessible resources like my newsletter, it is crucial to have some support. I cannot justify marketing for a resource that I refuse to charge for or to monetize, so word of mouth is at the core of its continued existence; without subscribers and people sharing, commenting and liking each edition, it is unlikely that the newsletter would be able to sustain itself. I also maintain a very close relationship with organizations, such as the British International Studies Association, which replicates the newsletter for its members and occasionally brings me in to talk about career stuff for ECRs and graduates, and several universities echo out the newsletter internally, which helps it reach the right people.

My network also enables the expansion of newsletter content, which has become increasingly complex since I manually compile the opportunities for each edition. I do not have the technical aptitude to code a bot that could crawl websites and populate the newsletter, but I sure wish I did. So, it is already a heavy time sink that eats away from my other hobbies. However, several active subscribers occasionally send me links to exciting organisations, which I must vet and check up on before adding to the list. This is a huge help, as it improves the product, saves me time, and off-sets my geographical bias as a northern European dude with limited exposure to the world.

How do you approach networking within the IR/Security and academic community more broadly? What strategies have you found effective?

When I compare our field to many other fields, I often find it easier to build genuine connections with others. I have always attributed this to the passion most people need to kick off a career in this industry. Very often, you can bond over shared interests and synergies between topics. That said, networking can still be quite a chore; save for a select few, it requires effort.

To make networking flow a bit better, I always recommend having a bit of reflection before a conference or networking event; ask yourself why you are attending and what you hope to get out of it. Often, I meet people with grand ambitions of getting a hundred new connections during a few days of conferencing. Still, I am much more oriented towards quality over quantity. A strategy I use is to set a modest goal: enjoy the conference, make a handful of good contacts per day, and target specific people who will make solid connections. To make this happen, I spend a bit of time going through the participant lists, and if at all possible, I pull the bio of those I want to reach; if you know what projects they are involved in, you have something to bond over.

What advice or tips would you give early-career researchers about networking?

No matter if you hate networking, get anxious about engaging with strangers, or feel the pressure of the Dunning–Kruger effect on your shoulders, do not worry; anyone can network, and networking is often a very forgiving endeavour once you take the first few steps. If you attend a conference or a networking event, everybody will know that networking is part of the game; it is anticipated.

Most students and early-career researchers will be networking upward with academics and practitioners, and this can feel particularly tough when you compare your modest track record with someone senior. The best way around this is to be honest; everyone in the field has been in your shoes at one point, and if you approach respectfully, there is very little chance that you will be blown off. Playing on the power dynamics is usually a good move; we all like talking about ourselves, so ask easy questions that let your counterpart shine.

A pro tip is also to pay it forward. The best networkers are masters at linking up the right people, so if you come across something that matches one of your peers' professional interests, draw the connection and introduce them. It makes a big difference for your colleagues and makes you stand out as a connector, something that often pays off at the end!

Thank you very much Alex!

Max Dixon is an ESRC-funded PhD candidate at the University of Portsmouth, studying the 'Role of Taiwan in British foreign policy since its democratization in 1996'. He has undertaken research for a current MP on China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, has written for publications such as The Diplomat and Taiwan Insight Magazine and has presented at a number of international conferences. He is also Research Assistant at the European Association of Taiwan Studies. Follow him on Linkedin or on Twitter/X: @MaxDixon1995. 

Networking can feel incredibly daunting, often at the moment you step into a bustling room laden with fascinating, experienced people chatting away the overwhelming instinct can be to turn around and retreat. The shoulders turned inwards, the closed circles and the awkwardness of inserting yourself into an ongoing conversation can instill a sense of imposter syndrome in even the most seasoned of academics.

The first battle is recognizing that this feeling doesn’t necessarily go away, regardless of how many blogs you’ve posted, papers you’ve written or indeed degrees you’ve accumulated, you’ll always feel apprehensions about networking events. If anything, be wary of those who don’t feel nerves, who’ll glibly tell you that they can swan into any room and feel at ease. That is, because at its heart, networking is about talking to people who know more than you. The beauty of our diversified world is that every single room you walk into will consist of tens, if not hundreds of people who have expert knowledge in something you may only know a little about. It is this inherent knowledge disparity that raises your heartrate, that encourages feelings of inadequacy and nerves, that they know more than you. They do. However, see it not as a threat per se, but as an opportunity, where networking is the process ultimately of learning from others.

I have that slightly clammy feeling at many events, as a natural response, but I’ve learned some valuable lessons that have helped me to embrace the opportunities of networking. Firstly, one lesson I quickly learned was not to be so desperate to prove your credentials. The first instinct can be to try and prove you deserve to be in that space, spewing out your small area of expertise in conversations to prove you deserve to be there. This approach has elicited a range of responses, bemusement, pity and even interest, but it, if anything proves the very point you’re trying to avoid, that you’re not used to this space. Instead, listen eagerly and ask questions ensuring you’re not treating the conversation like a personal tutor meeting and instead are one part of a natural conversation. Not only will you learn a lot more, but as in all conversations you’ll then often have a natural opportunity to share your own knowledge and expertise in a the flow of a conversation.

Secondly, the worst part is always, always entering the conversation late. Trying to insert yourself into an existing conversation is never smooth, so my advice here is simply arrive early. Be one of the first into the event if you can, that way as people mill around conversations start earlier. You’ll not only meet more people this way, but conversations often spiral off and snowball leading to further conversations, all the while your nervousness dissipating. The earlier you arrive, the easier it is to relax and enjoy the pleasant feeling of being surrounded by experts in a field you care deeply about.

Thirdly, carry some form of business card or even a LinkedIn QR code, so often I’ve been at events where the ritual of sharing business cards has left me feeling a little awkward as I receive a handful of glossy Bateman-esque business cards with nothing to offer in return. Whilst it can be awkward to hand out business cards as a student, they are surprisingly cheap to acquire and whilst they may be shuffled to the back of the pile you’ll stand out simply by the virtue of being the undergraduate with a business card. Or, failing that, the trusty Linkedin QR code can also serve to dampen the momentary awkwardness as the business card holders are unclasped.

Crucially, not all networking takes place in person. Indeed, much of my most successful networking has taken place online. In our increasingly online world there are a multitude of avenues through which to engage with experts, Linkedin, Twitter (X), online seminars and even the classic cold email. I’ve employed a number of these to get in touch with people key to my research and have found, overwhelmingly, that experts are almost always receptive to warm emails or messages asking to learn more about their research. It is a truth universally acknowledged that an expert in possession of unique and vital knowledge is often happy to share said knowledge.

As such, when reaching out to experts in your field, employing a generous helping of flattery is always a good approach. Remembering that networking is not a transaction but constitutive mechanism of knowledge consolidation and development is intrinsic here, emails should be specific not copied and pasted with a clear reason for why you wish to connect with this person. Moreover, don’t fret if a response isn’t instantaneous, experts tend to be busy people, and I’ve had responses sometimes months after the email.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, remember to network with your peers. I’ve learned more from my peers than any experts. Why? Because you spend more time with your peers, they are often engaged with similar problems and challenges as you and as such you can benefit from the wide range of experiences they can share with you. Your peers in striding out, seeking to establish a career or a knowledge niche can share with you different strategies, approaches and opportunities because they are going through the same journey as you are. Throughout my academic career I’ve had the pleasure of watching friends achieve fabulous things, whilst at other times being supported, and supporting, friends through challenges. The unique perspectives these networks provide can be lifelong and as such treasure them, for they could be just as important as learning from an acclaimed professor or politician. At its core, networking is about learning and as such, pursue endlessly every opportunity to learn, wherever it comes from.

• (As I contributed to the twitter hour) I find it helpful not to see events as 'great networking opportunities' but better to just try and get to know people as you might naturally in any setting. I certainly didn't think I was on a mission to speak to everyone but I was open to talking about future collaborations but also just learning from others about their work and identifying connections/overlaps.
• Opportunities to get to know people away from the symposium can be really enjoyable and a great way to extend conversations you might have started in the day or understand what motivates people or where your paths might cross again. I take from this a reminder to try to arrange dinners at conferences where I am convening panels/roundtables as it is so much more sociable and might be the start of a new research connection (or perhaps just a nice evening!). 
• Try to connect others up where you can. I have followed up with a number of people I met there to share details of things I perhaps mentioned in passing and felt I could expand on/provide links.

• If you're presenting at an event, don't forget to share your contact details at the start and the end of your presentation so people can follow up with you. I've started using a QR code which has all my details in one accessible place.
• I recommend trying not to think of networking as a ‘thing’ you need to get good at and just be natural and chat to people. Take note of people you want to speak to and follow up with them afterwards whether in person or email/social media. Think of something specific you want to ask, maybe advice about your career, or for a follow on chat about your research.
• I really enjoy meeting people in person at conferences. after getting to know on twitter. Building connections is so important and they may hold the answer to a bit of info you are searching for.
• So, I’d say—and it may sound silly—but attending the social parts of conferences is one of the best ways to meet more people and build rapport in a more informal setting.

• Establishing networks – informal/formal – has helped me find both support and friendship and make professional connections that I can turn to when I have questions. I try to link people up as well and find people return the favour, helping you extend your network.
• To be completely honest, it hasn’t helped me get a job or anything like that, but it has helped shape who I am, if that makes sense?

• I try to follow up after an event to connect on social media with people I have met making it easier to reconnect/follow up. It's amazing how a long time can pass and then I recall someone I want to connect with and can still find them.
• At the start of my MEd, one of my brilliant tutors recommended that we create an 'academic Twitter' account to help with networking and sharing our research. It's served me very well! Thanks @DrBethanMorgan!
• I use LinkedIn a lot and prefer it to X for more professional matters. I comment on posts frequently and often share weekly updates, which generates engagement.

• Be bold. Email people you would like to connect with - ask for a virtual coffee or to meet at a conference. Just having common research/methods interests is enough for the start of a conversation. Remember how you would be happy to speak to someone if they asked you.
• I’d say—be yourself! Sometimes it may be tempting to maintain a professional persona, but that might not come across as genuine. Just be yourself!

The 2024 Military Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Forum (MSOTL) will be held online, 2-3 October 2024. This event is free to attend. We especially welcome educators in military learning environments, including those working in professional military education as well as training organizations both in the United States and abroad.

The theme for this year's conference is: The Future of Military Education: Technology and the Art of War.

The conference includes plenary presentations and breakout presentations of research aligned with the following tracks:

1. Evidence-based instructional strategies
2. Faculty development
3. Assessment
4. Learning theories and andragogy
5. Distributed learning
6. Educational technology
7. Research methods

For questions or assistance, please contact MSOTLFORUM@gmail.com.