Professional Networking and Matchmaking Events

The UniWeliS project emphasizes that both small and large scale events are relevant when networking and matchmaking events targeting international researchers. Key insights include the following strategies described below.

When planning networking events for PhDs/academics, the following should be kept in mind:

institutions should check which networking events could be housed by them. In cases of conferences, seminars, summer schools, they should book venues and find volunteers. They should probably do that around the time when the majority of incoming PhD students and academics are visiting the institutions, because that would be an incredible opportunity to allow their own academics and incoming academics to share experiences and stories, and eventually exchange contact information, so that they could communicate and collaborate in the future.
create a registration form and send out invitations via proven communication channels
publish information with details on the institutional website and social media profile, so that the news of the event would reach interested parties.
when it comes to social media networks, institutions could create a group/subpage providing thus a platform for interaction between local academics and current or potential incoming PhD students and academics. Those platforms could be made on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook, where the almost real-time response would immensely facilitate communication and potential collaboration.

Apart from such rather advanced events that need a lot of resources (conferences, summer schools, etc), a great opportunity to support the social integration of incoming PhD students and academics as well as establish social and professional networks are various smaller-scale social events that are less demanding for the budget. Here are some examples:

Regular international get-togethers, social hours, coffee/beer hours, field trips and dinners, guided city tours, balls and galas, sports events, hikes, concerts, cooking classes, board game nights, visits to museum/city hall, Christmas and summer parties, etc.
International Day: cultural events where academics/their family members from different countries can present their culture, lecture on local country culture and history, etc.
Academic events: discussions and talks about their work/career path: conferences, guest lectures, round tables, department meetings, institute seminars, Doctoral Day, regular group meetings (e.g., every Monday), Ph.D. seminars, science breakfasts, symposiums, business meetings, job-related talks
Various mentoring activities, tandems, peer group meetings,
Language cafe enabling internationals/their family members to exchange languages/learn/practice other languages
Family events: get-togethers; joint social events (e.g. joint planting or campus cleaning, clothes exchange, city tours, cooking classes, visits to museums, field trips, etc)
Creating a mixing-up space where internationals can mix with their local peers/fellows

REBECA toolkit

The Guide to Prepare a R2B Matchmaking Event developed by EURAXESS serves as a practical resource for organizing effective research-to-business (R2B) matchmaking events. These events aim to connect researchers with industry stakeholders, facilitating collaboration and knowledge transfer that can lead to innovative solutions and enhanced commercialization of research.

Overview of the Guide

Designing the event

Setting up the platform

Running the event and the follow up

Lessons learned

REBECA Mentoring Programme

REBECA, part of the EURAXESS initiative, is a mentoring program designed to support early career researchers in exploring career opportunities beyond academia. The program aims to connect these researchers with experienced professionals from various sectors, facilitating valuable networking and skill development.

Program is aimed at early career researchers, including PhD candidates and those who have completed their PhD within the last eight years.

Participants are paired with mentors who are typically professionals working in research-related fields but not necessarily in academic positions. This includes research managers and industry professionals.

Mentors share their experiences and insights into non-academic career paths, helping mentees reflect on their career goals and options.

Program Objectives:

Facilitate intergenerational, intersectoral, and intercultural networking among research professionals.
Support talent transfer from academia to the private sector.
Provide exposure to diverse professional careers through mentorship

The program includes online training sessions, networking events, and virtual meetings between mentors and mentees. Each mentoring relationship typically lasts six months, with an average of one meeting per month expected.

Interested mentees must register on the designated platform, complete a questionnaire about their interests, and submit a CV. The matching process considers both the mentee's interests and the mentor's expertise.

For more information visit the Rebeca HUB section.

Best practice examples

Below you can consult further examples of professional and matchmaking events as a source of best practice examples.

Professional Networking and Matchmaking Events