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I have been in another country as a visiting researcher to participate in a research project of which my university is a partner. It was agreed by word of mouth that I would be paid soon after arrival. Several months later I am back home and still have not received the money.

So far, the host researcher has made the formal arrangements in the foreign country. He told me that the delays are due to internal problems at his (very reputable) university. Regardless of the reasons he has no solution, I travelled from a very poor country to earn some money and this was a very hard blow to my family's finances.

What are some alternatives I could try to solve this problem soon?

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  • Much as a sympathize with the position you find yourself in, I don't think that any of us can provide any help not knowing the reason for the delay.
    – Wolfgang Bangerth
    Sep 26, 2022 at 13:06
  • @WolfgangBangerth, I too do not know what the specific problem is that I am not being paid (of course I have asked but I have had no precise answers). This makes it much more difficult for me to know how to proceed. That's why I seek advice from more experienced people.
    – user1420303
    Sep 26, 2022 at 19:31

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Unfortunately, answering a question like this without even knowing the country of your institution is going to be very difficult. You might ask for help from someone in academia in that country, who has a better idea what is normal and what can be done.

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  • Thank you. I omitted some information because I perceived it to be a delicate issue. I know that such long delays are unusual, so I don't think there is a standard procedure to address it. I assume that it would be futile for me to try to put pressure on the foreign university administration. I assume that it would be pointless for me to try to put pressure on the administration of the foreign university. It might make sense to seek support from my university, but I am ignorant about administrative relations between universities.
    – user1420303
    Sep 26, 2022 at 10:56
  • Knowing my environment, I anticipate that my university will be reluctant to help me. Although I understand that it is their duty given that I am their employee and that I have come to work on their behalf. So I would like to have a clearer picture before I talk to them.
    – user1420303
    Sep 26, 2022 at 11:00
  • In many cultures, it helps if people know that their decisions have consequences. E.g. in my experience a French bureaucrat becomes helpful the moment they understand that their playing by the rules has bad effects on you. Then they give good advice and help you master the problem. That's why I am proposing you talk to someone who knows the country and how universities there function.
    – Thomas Schwarz
    Sep 26, 2022 at 15:58
  • +1 Thank you again. I don't have access to these bureaucrats (I don't even know who is stopping the payment). The host researcher was aware from the outset of how devastating this is for my family's finances. Unfortunately, this did not lead to favourable results.
    – user1420303
    Sep 26, 2022 at 19:40
  • I understand. Your host might have felt too much pressured for something that they could not control.
    – Thomas Schwarz
    Sep 26, 2022 at 23:17

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