Meeting and hosting academics

This page is intended for PhD students and postdocs who are learning to meet or host academics (e.g. for seminars).

Academia and mathematics is a terribly small world. As evidenced by the Mathematics Geneology project, almost everybody is connected in a very immediate way. By meeting with academics or helping to host visitors or speakers, you're working towards extending your professional network. This might give you opportunities through:

• Getting to know someone you might contact in the future (for postdocs, for jobs, for foreign/domestic short-term research visits, etc.)
• Getting to know someone who could lead you to further networking opportunities in the future (e.g. “Dear Dr. X, Dr. Y told me that you might be someone good to contact about…”).
• Sharing your research.
• Potentially gaining invitations for you to come speak at their seminar.
• Extending your knowledge of maths and what interesting research is out there.
• Getting names of people who might review your journal submissions or grant proposals.

1. Google them. Go scan their list of publications to get an idea of their area. Maybe glance at the more recent articles. Look them up on the Mathematical Genealogy website to see what their PhD was in.
2. Look for connections. Have they done something that is connected to what you do? Is their research style similar or different? Are they doing something you have always wanted to learn or you're confused about? Ask them about it!
3. Tell them about your research. Give them a nice gentle introduction to what you do. Tell them about interesting maths or physical problems you're working on. Tailor this dependent on what they do.
4. Ask them what they're working on.
5. Ask them about their PhD or their career. E.g. “I saw that you did your PhD on X, Y, Z with A”. How did you get to Institution B after that?“ “How did you like your PhD at Institution C? What was it like working with A?”
6. Ask them about their university or research group. E.g. “What is the fluid dyanamics group at Institution B like?” Ask them about what the PhD students are like, whether the undergraduates are annoying, what classes they're dealing with this term, etc.
7. Ask about cultural differences. E.g. “What was it like doing a PhD in the UK and now working in the US?”

• It is a good idea to bring a laptop or whatever you might need to describe your work in a comprehensible fashion (like an old talk).

• The social space (whiteboard) is great as neutral ground.
• 4W cafe is convenient and nice
• Claverton Down rooms for lunch (with the students)

• For food and coffee, get an itemised receipt and claim afterwards.
• If you need to help speaker get at taxi, there is a bulletin board in the Maths reception office with the taxi number and code. Ask the administrator or Myla Watts to assist.