Footsteps across time and space

Abstract

Bridging people through research partnerships across time and space has characterized my research and vision of partnerships among scientists of different nations, backgrounds, and research disciplines. Like footsteps in the snow, we cross from one to another, across the land, trees, mountains, under the blue sky, either physically or virtually. In today's world, when we have to solve so many pressing Big Research Problems related to health, education, farming, poverty, viruses, cancer, weather volatilities, social justice, and other ones, it is imperative to work collaboratively. Having come from East Europe and having personally imprinted these footsteps in the snow during a recent visit home (2020), I aspire to continue studying research scientists from the U.S., where I have found my second home, and researchers abroad, in existing strategic partnerships and contribute toward partnership innovation and improvement on both research and practice ends. This research has impacted me and those whom I come in touch with by inspiring us to even be the creators of partnerships ourselves and explore the kind of connecting "footsteps" needed not only in advanced-to-advanced country partnerships, but in advanced-to-developing and developing-to-developing ones, too. I further aspire to assess the impact of solutions to those Big Problems.