How to get the most out of network collaborations – experiences from the SANORD network
Kv-kevätpäivät, Vaasa 9.–10.5.2017 Pia Le Grand, Turun yliopisto
C5: Globaali etelä ja verkostoyhteistyö – harvojen herkusta monien eduksi
• Launched in 2007 to promote cooperation between the North and southern Africa, today 42 member institutions
• SANORD Central Office (SCO) located at the University of the
Western Cape (Cape Town), with a Director (part-time), Administrator, Intern (occasionally)
• 2 Institutional Representatives per partner institution: leadership + administrative contact person
• Board, Council, Working Groups/Committees
• Annual SANORD Conference/Symposium
• Sharing of information, connecting people • Seed funding for research theme groups
• Publications
• Delegate support
• Internships at the SCO
• Scholarship Programme for student mobility towards the North
My role as an administrative contact person
• Information sharing:
o Communication internally towards actors
within the university (leadership, staff, researchers, students) about the network and its possibilities
o Communication towards SANORD about the University
• Active participation in the development of the network and in the work of the working groups – based on my other tasks and the university’s participation in other networks.
• Engaging actors within the university to make use of the Network, and to participate in the working groups.
Challenges
• How to communicate efficiently and how to reach the relevant the actors within the University?
• How to engage academics and raise interest towards a
network that has a geographical (not subject-specific) focus?
• Time contraints: a network is rarely anyone’s main task or priority – how much time and effort can I put into it?
• Different working cultures of the member institutions need to be combined.
• How to convince the leadership of the University about the benefits of the membership?
Recommendations
• Network cooperation can be ambitious, but should also be realistic.
• The network will not function well without active people
(members + coordinator/office) – as a member, be active; as a coordinator, be organised.
• Regular network activities should follow a certain timeline (easier to fit in with other tasks).
• The information meant for sharing should be prepared so that it can be shared such as (contents and form) –> use of internet and intranet.
• Best practices could be shared more between networks.
When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.
Ethiopian Proverb
Kv-kevätpäivät, Vaasa 9.–10.5.2017 Pia Le Grand, Turun yliopisto
