Questions tagged [international]

Questions in relation to academia across international borders or in different regions globally.

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101 votes
7 answers
33k views

The GRE: Why does this still exist?

I did my undergraduate degree in the US and am heading to graduate school here in less than a month, so I myself have taken the Graduate Record Examinations (the general as well as two subjects tests) ...
Jonathan Gleason's user avatar
96 votes
10 answers
8k views

How to be a co-author anonymously?

I am from country A and am studying in country B. A researcher from country C would like to collaborate with me. However, my home country (country A) has poor (hostile) relations with the researcher'...
user43259's user avatar
  • 761
66 votes
9 answers
13k views

How to prove that a paper published with a particular English transliteration of my Russian name is mine?

My first name is Евгений (it is Russian; the usual transliteration is Yevgeny). I was born in Ukraine in 1990, when it was still in the Soviet Union, where Russian was the official language. I lived ...
erz's user avatar
  • 762
66 votes
18 answers
12k views

As an international instructor, should I openly talk about my accent?

I'm an international, teaching at an American university, and I have an accent, which can be strong at times. I'm working hard at it, have always been, but still, the accent is there. This has never ...
ziulfer's user avatar
  • 1,884
65 votes
6 answers
15k views

Should I explain that I cannot finish my current master due to religious discrimination when applying for another graduate program?

I am currently enrolled in a master’s program in the Middle East, which does not seem to be possible to finish / worth finishing for various reasons. The main problem is the lack of research ...
Bola K's user avatar
  • 651
65 votes
3 answers
10k views

What is life like for Western-raised/trained academics who are faculty in countries with extremely tight governmental control?

There are a growing number of prominent universities in the world which are based in countries where the government exerts substantial control over its citizens in ways that are not typical in "...
Danny W.'s user avatar
  • 3,249
47 votes
3 answers
132k views

Difference between International edition of a book and a non international one

Most of the textbooks I used during my undergraduate studies (outside north America) are International editions, so what is the difference between a national and an international edition of a book? ...
The Hiary's user avatar
  • 5,163
45 votes
7 answers
11k views

How to explain that I do not want to visit a country due to personal safety concern?

I have been invited to visit a professor in a different country. I am very reluctant to go. The government of this country is currently under investigation by the UN for suspicions of crimes against ...
user105594's user avatar
44 votes
4 answers
5k views

What can academics and students do to reduce racism in academia?

I am a postdoc at a university in the UK. Before I came here, a friend warned me that racism is common in the UK. True enough, during my first few months here, I have already received a couple of ...
adipro's user avatar
  • 8,488
40 votes
4 answers
3k views

Can authors from certain origins really not know about the gravity of plagiarism?

With respect to some cultures, in particular Asian ones, one often hears statements such as the following: In this country, copying is regarded as flattery and thus people do not know the evils of ...
Wrzlprmft's user avatar
  • 61.2k
39 votes
8 answers
9k views

Does Iran's sanction play a pivotal role in rejecting papers from a journal?

After 1.5 years of hard work on a project, my former supervisor sent our paper to a journal. After about 10 hours, they sent the following response: After careful internal editorial consideration ...
Afshin's user avatar
  • 837
37 votes
6 answers
9k views

Special (non-english) character in name. What to do as author? Internationalize or not?

In German, as well as in other languages, people have Non-English characters in their names. e.g. ß, the umlauts etc.. I frequently face problems when flying, opening bank accounts, etc., ...
sheß's user avatar
  • 566
29 votes
6 answers
6k views

What to do when university has not yet reimbursed travel costs for a job interview?

A few months ago, I visited a university for a tenure-track interview in computer science. Before my visit, I received an interview policy sheet from HR stating all the usual things (economy flight ...
Notgreedyatall's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
3k views

Chose name for first publication (special characters and compound names)

I am submitting my first paper ever in a couple of months and I was wondering about my family name. The paper is in English and the conference is an international conference. Assume my name is {Alan} ...
excalibur1491's user avatar
27 votes
8 answers
3k views

Are there some fields where having skills in a language other than English is necessary to perform research at an international level?

When I went to college, an old-schooled teacher of mine insisted that, because I was interested in chemistry, I needed to work on my German as it was the lingua franca of that trade. It turns out, ...
F'x's user avatar
  • 73k
25 votes
5 answers
28k views

Are postdoctoral scholars considered students or researchers in other countries?

I am currently working under a post-PhD (postdoc) scholarship. In my country (Argentina) I am usually considered still a student (although it's kind of a gray area). In other countries, would I ...
Gabriel's user avatar
  • 2,676
23 votes
4 answers
4k views

What is the purpose of international editions of books sometimes omitting some problems, footnotes, or other content?

I've noticed that - at least in the US - a book is published and sold at a non-trivial price to US residents. However, the author/publisher may also make an international version. This version is ...
magnetar's user avatar
  • 358
22 votes
2 answers
2k views

Culture clashes in authorship norms

I'm an American professor in a branch of theoretical science at a US institution. There is a Japanese postdoc in our group who has nearly finished writing a paper with one of the American postdocs. We'...
Anonymous's user avatar
  • 223
21 votes
3 answers
2k views

US Postdoc in Japan not allowed to be first-author due to being foreign. How to proceed?

I am a US postdoc at a lab in Japan doing niche research in computational biology. I recently found out my advisor will not allow me to be first author on papers. He says the datasets (which were my ...
user3603093's user avatar
20 votes
3 answers
671 views

Can an Iranian journal accept submissions from Israeli researchers?

I am an Israeli researcher and am planning to submit my paper soon. I noticed that an Iranian journal¹ has suitable editors and am considering submitting there. I wonder whether such a journal might ...
Israeli's user avatar
  • 201
20 votes
2 answers
2k views

Is there an international taxonomy of academic titles/ranks?

Looking at the list of academic ranks on Wikipedia shows that the same academic rank/title can mean quite different things in different countries. For instant, a "research assistant" in the US can ...
user avatar
19 votes
5 answers
3k views

In what countries/programs is a graduate student bonus common?

I just learned from this question My professor skipped me on Christmas bonus payment that in some cultures/degree-programs, PhD students get bonuses. I had never heard of this. However, I'm most ...
spacetyper's user avatar
  • 1,387
18 votes
12 answers
14k views

Why do major international universities still have courses in languages other than English?

As an example ETH Zurich, which is arguably one of the best universities in Europe, still educates Bachelor's students in German: Please note: the Bachelor’s degree programmes begin in German. In ...
user avatar
18 votes
6 answers
8k views

PhD Length: are shorter PhD degrees (from different countries) valued differently in other counter countries where PhD Is a longer process?

This question is partially inspired by the question about degree nostrification. In some countries a PhD is a 3-3.5 year degree (Denmark and the UK for ex) whereas in others like Sweden a PhD is ...
posdef's user avatar
  • 17.7k
18 votes
6 answers
9k views

Why is there such variation in PhD length internationally?

I'm an undergrad in Australia, and at this stage I want to go on to do further study in maths (or maybe physics/CS, still have a few years till then). Should I do so, I imagine that I will want to ...
hotstuff69's user avatar
17 votes
2 answers
1k views

Do all countries have the same gender imbalance in science?

Do all countries have the same gender imbalance in science? That is, while some countries may have a higher proportion of women in science, while others have a lower proportion of women in science, ...
Andrew Grimm's user avatar
16 votes
6 answers
4k views

Feasibility of moving from US to France for a postdoc opportunity

Recently I ran across an international postdoctoral opportunity, which seems quite interesting to me. While I would prefer to stay in academia in United States, there are various factors that enable ...
Aleksandr Blekh's user avatar
15 votes
5 answers
1k views

Are there formal or informal hiring bans in some academic settings based on gender and/or nationality?

In early March 2015, an eMail by a female German professor apparently rejecting a male Indian applicant due to the 'rape problem' in India made news. (The issue is a bit more complex. There is some ...
Daniel Wessel's user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
2k views

Does obtaining citizenship somewhere help in applying for a faculty position there?

Would obtain the citizenship of a country help to be a more successful applicant for an academic job? More specifically, for example consider that an international scholar, who currently holds a ...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 543
15 votes
4 answers
17k views

How to cite where names are not of [firstName lastName] form, in particular patronymic?

In academia in the US, the dominant name format is [firstName lastName]. And in APA citation format you typically cite by referring to the last name. So e.g. if John Doe wrote a paper in 2014, you ...
user avatar
15 votes
3 answers
1k views

Obstacles in job hunting for US citizens in non-US nations

I am curious to know the kinds of obstacles a US citizen would come across when trying to find work in academia outside the US and/or those that a non-US-citizen faces when trying to get an academic ...
user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
1k views

Handling Research Data from Iran: Ethical Considerations in the Absence of an IRB

Ethical oversight is crucial in academic research, especially when dealing with human subjects. In many countries, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) provide this oversight. However, in some regions ...
Iman Mohammadi's user avatar
13 votes
1 answer
567 views

Why have international branch campuses?

There are campuses in Malaysia belonging to the universities of Southampton, Nottingham and Reading. There is a Mauritius branch belonging to Aberystwyth University, whereas the University of ...
gerrit's user avatar
  • 42.7k
13 votes
1 answer
840 views

Is scientific misconduct relatively normalised in some countries or academic cultures?

My question was provoked by this comment, and the fairly popular responses to it. I've seen similar sentiment expressed before, though always as asides rather than any direct 'accusation'. In my ...
benxyzzy's user avatar
  • 743
13 votes
1 answer
1k views

Finding mathematics postdoc opportunities in India

I am Ph.D. advisor to X, a rising 5th-year Ph.D. student in pure mathematics at a mid-tier US research university. X and I are trying to prepare for his upcoming job search. In my opinion X is ...
Anonymous's user avatar
  • 26.1k
12 votes
2 answers
857 views

Can American students do research in Europe with only a bachelor's degree?

It's not clear to me, looking over all the various regulations and requirements, how (or even if) it is possible for students holding a four-year or five-year bachelor's degree from the US can work at ...
aeismail's user avatar
  • 173k
12 votes
1 answer
1k views

How portable are NSF grants between institutions and internationally?

I'm a fixed-term lecturer (2016-17 academic year) on the job market. I'm hoping to apply for an NSF grant this winter to fund new research. Very hypothetically, if I am awarded the grant, how portable ...
KHT's user avatar
  • 123
11 votes
10 answers
7k views

Big life decision: move to a different country to pursue PhD, or stay with my significant other and do my PhD at my undergrad institution? [closed]

I have been agonizing over a decision regarding where I should pursue my PhD in theoretical chemistry. My choices are as follows: university A (US) has the best department in the world for my area of ...
transparentul's user avatar
11 votes
5 answers
5k views

Is it common for professors to ask a postdoc to start working without compensation while waiting for paperwork to be completed?

I was wondering if it is common for professors to ask a new international postdoc to work without compensation while waiting for paperwork to be completed. I was in an interview and the professor ...
acad-user's user avatar
  • 405
11 votes
2 answers
6k views

Potential Internet blackout in Russia: could academics in Russia submit a manuscript to an international journal by postmail?

Researchers in Russia may face a blackout on the internet and may only surf on national websites (ref). Then they could not submit any paper to non-Russian journals anymore. I was wondering whether ...
Noil's user avatar
  • 277
10 votes
4 answers
4k views

How should a job title be translated?

When you introduce yourself to an international audience and come from an non-US system, there always is an awkward moment of translating your job title into a form recognizable by the people you ...
F'x's user avatar
  • 73k
10 votes
1 answer
5k views

What exactly is "nostrification" of a university diploma?

I have been reading a bit about nostrification of a university diploma, but I don't quite understand what it means. I do understand that nostrification is basically validation of your diploma in a ...
terett's user avatar
  • 203
9 votes
2 answers
3k views

What is the non-European perception of Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellowships?

I recently posted the above question along with another in the same post and was asked to post this one separately. I have received a Marie-Curie individual fellowship from the European Commission. ...
Pioneer83's user avatar
  • 1,058
9 votes
2 answers
2k views

Should I submit one strong recommendation letter or one strong letter and one weaker letter?

I'm a third year undergraduate engineering student in India. I am applying for a research program at a foreign university which will start at the end of my third year. This internship program ...
shortstheory's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
717 views

US PhD to Developing Country Professorship

So I was listening to this story on The Moth about a woman who earned a degree in Egypt and then an advanced degree in England and then went back to Zimbabwe to be a professor at local university: ...
Loonuh's user avatar
  • 383
8 votes
4 answers
420 views

Does the native language capability (for a foreigner) help in applying for a faculty position?

Consider an international scholar X, fluent in English, who currently holds a postdoctoral position in science (say, in particular, the fundamental science: physics, chemistry, math or biology) in the ...
wonderich's user avatar
  • 543
8 votes
1 answer
6k views

Does the NSF award grants to foreign researchers not affiliated with US instutitions?

I mean the foreign researchers who are not affiliated with US institutions, and are located overseas. I suspect that NSF would not award them research grants, but need a confirmation. I also imagine ...
Aksakal almost surely binary's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
302 views

Does anyone know of an international postdoctoral association?

The number of postdocs is increasing worldwide. Because of their technical expertise and dedication, postdocs are rapidly becoming the backbone of most large science laboratories. I am aware of ...
Scientist's user avatar
  • 9,204
8 votes
1 answer
428 views

How much the region you get your PhD is important to your career path?

I am about to make an important decision for my career. I have a good PhD position (fully funded with a good stipend) in East Asia. The university is one of the top 50 in my subject, which is ...
PiTao's user avatar
  • 81
7 votes
2 answers
273 views

What does "International Journal of" mean or imply?

It can be argued in this day and age that virtually all academic journals are international, since they are online. Anyone with an internet connection can read and submit their work to journals, ...
mbaytas's user avatar
  • 904