ID216 International PhD Alumni Research Collaboration Network

The Idea

The primary aim of this initiative is to strengthen Keele's international research collaborations by establishing a structured International PhD Alumni Research Collaboration Network. The network would reconnect with international PhD alumni to develop sustainable research partnerships that increase internationally co-authored publications, joint grant applications, and long-term institutional collaborations. Secondary benefits include stronger alumni engagement, enhanced opportunities for international PhD recruitment, and improved performance in global university rankings. 

A strategic way to improve our international standing is to build a structured programme of international research collaboration, with a particular focus on reconnecting with our international PhD alumni. This group represents a highly valuable and underused global network: they already understand our research culture, often hold academic or research positions overseas, and can act as trusted gateways to new institutions, countries and research communities. However, while some supervisors and Schools may already maintain individual links with former PhD students, these connections appear to be informal and not systematically mapped or coordinated across the institution. The programme would support joint publications, grant applications, visiting researcher schemes, online research seminars, co-supervision, mentoring, and targeted writing sprints with alumni and their current institutions. This would directly strengthen indicators such as the QS International Research Network, which rewards diverse and sustained international research partnerships by publishing 3 or more publications with other international universities, and the THE International Collaboration metric, which rewards publications with international co-authors, thereby supporting improvements in our world ranking. Importantly, the initiative would also benefit our current PhD alumni by giving them access to wider international research networks, collaborative supervision, publication opportunities, external expertise and potential career pathways. Beyond rankings, this strategy would increase research visibility, citation potential, global reputation and long-term institutional partnerships, while strengthening the University’s research community across generations.

Why This Idea Should Be Considered

The University should consider this idea because international PhD alumni represent an existing, trusted, and underused global research network that can directly help enhance our world ranking. Reconnecting with them can create faster routes to international co-authored publications, joint grant applications, visiting researcher opportunities and long-term institutional partnerships. These activities align closely with ranking indicators such as the QS International Research Network and the Times Higher Education International Collaboration measure, both of which reward international research connectivity. By strengthening global research links, increasing internationally co-authored outputs and improving research visibility, this initiative would support both academic impact and the University’s international reputation. 

How We Would Implement This Idea

Keele could implement this idea by creating an International PhD Alumni Research Collaboration Network. The first step would be to map international PhD alumni by country, institution, discipline and research expertise. This would help identify opportunities for joint publications, grant applications, doctoral collaboration and future PhD recruitment. For example, there are several PhD scholarship schemes in regions such as the Middle East that could support international candidates to study at Keele. Programmes like distance learning PhD and PhD by publication can be a very good way to encourage more PhD candidates to join Keele. The network could begin with online seminars, workshops and research-matching events, before developing into visiting researcher exchanges and co-supervision activities. Schools or research centres could nominate academic leads to coordinate collaborations and monitor outcomes. 

A university-level committee should be formed, comprising members from each faculty, which can be linked to the KDA. Each faculty would then appoint representatives who liaise directly with alumni in their schools. This ensures ongoing engagement, coordinated collaboration, and consistent monitoring of joint activities, aligning with both alumni engagement and ranking improvement goals. The alumni team would be the main source of information, as they have all the contact details for the alumni. The PGR offices and KDA can be helpful as well. This can also be done through an informal process, where PhD supervisors personally contact PhD graduates to join the Network.   

What Success Would Look Like

Progress could be tracked through the number of active alumni participating in the network, internationally co-authored publications, joint grant applications submitted and awarded, partner institutions and countries engaged, collaborative seminars and workshops delivered, visiting researcher exchanges, co-supervision activities, repeat collaborations, and international PhD recruitment arising from alumni partnerships. These indicators would demonstrate the network's contribution to Keele's global research visibility, international collaboration, and world ranking performance.