EPISODE · Jul 3, 2025 · 1H 31M
Decoding the Path to Global Career || Prof. Na Zou || Economics || DPT Podcast || Ep. 2
from Decoding Phase Transitions - The DPT Podcast · host Dr. Sananda Biswas
Decoding Phase Transitions - the DPT Podcast || Ep.2 || Prof. Na Zou's Global Career Journey (Part 2) Join us for Part 2 of our deep dive with Professor Na Zou, Assistant Professor at the University of Bath! If you're a student, PhD candidate, or aspiring academic, this episode is packed with invaluable insights. We pull back the curtain on how Professor Zou leveraged her student activities to secure a job offer immediately after her Master's degree. Then, we dive into the often-challenging but critical PhD experience, discussing how to successfully navigate multi-disciplinary research projects and make them work for your long-term goals. Perhaps most importantly, Professor Zou reveals the paramount importance of networking at academic conferences and shares how her exceptional presentation skills led directly to powerful word-of-mouth recommendations that were instrumental in landing her subsequent academic positions. Learn directly from her firsthand experiences on how to strategically approach career development in academia and beyond. This episode offers a roadmap for anyone looking to build a global career and navigating through complex career phases. In this episode, we'll explore: ∙ The unexpected career benefits of active student participation ∙ Navigating the visa process and settling into a new city ∙ Strategies for PhD students tackling complex, interdisciplinary research ∙ Why honing your presentation skills is a non-negotiable for career advancement ∙ How professional referrals, born from excellent work, can create new opportunities. ∙ Importance of mastering the art of networking at academic conferences Don't Miss Part 1: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBrJR6vLts&list=PLK152Z45fAKnLusMqOyY5Q0zf2Fz9wiXk] - Hear about Na Zou's academic foundations and her strategic career planning. Decoding Phase Transitions (DPT Podcast): Your go-to source for understanding the unique career 'phases' of leading professionals in academia and industry. Subscribe for more expert interviews, insightful physics lectures, and practical skill-building content. 🎙️ About This Episode's Guest: Prof. Na Zou: Assistant Professor, Strategy and Organization Division, School of Management, University of Bath LinkedIn: / nazou Homepage: https://sites.google.com/view/nazou/?... Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?... Her Research Areas: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Networks, Corporate Strategy ⏰ Episode Chapters: 0:00 Welcome & Episode Introduction 02:11 Student Activities at IDEON 15:55 Getting a Job 18:59 Moving to Stockholm 20:04 Why a PhD? 29:14: The PhD interview 34:59 PhD Journey begins 37:40 Initial challenges in the city 48:38: Managing multi-disciplinary project during PhD 58:40 Job offer 01:04:18 Reasons for choosing Academia 01:11:18 Shall academia prep for industry? 01:18:48 Networking at conferences 01:23:25 Fun Trivia 01:29:40 Final Thoughts 🔗 Resources Mentioned / Related Links: University of Lund: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/home Goethe University Frankfurt: https://www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/study IDEON - the innovation hub https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/research-and-innovation/innovation-and-entrepreneurship/innovative-environments Prezi for making presentation: https://prezi.com/ DEMOLA: https://www.demola.net Bocconi University, Milan, Italy : https://www.unibocconi.it/en/applying-bocconi?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13526854705&gbraid=0AAAAAD3Uxdcs1u7yqHPJ0AGzAPVcQeAat&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyIPDBhDBARIsAHJyyVh2aajbelTzQ81-luwsy7z2jzF9fITEmqrMCxhfE6xzljYeT3erErkaAiBjEALw_wcB Copenhagen Business School, Denmark : https://www.cbs.dk/en Esade (Barcelona and Madrid), Spain: https://www.esade.edu/en INSEAD, France: https://www.insead.edu/executive-education/masters-and-execed?CampaignId=GGL_Search_A&SiteId=GGL&CampaignName=EUR-DE[EN]_GGL-Brand[GEN]-INSEAD-Pure_MT-Phrase&AdId=JOINTBRANDPURE&device=c&term=insead%20business%20school_(e)&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=18956356993&gbraid=0AAAAAD6tgXybdrRC03ia64I0sAW1a8RUs&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyIPDBhDBARIsAHJyyVhPRfzphTH8Ob6nvFz4hrwqSz81uuQBjX1vXstqAsGv3WGAuQaAYloaAkOOEALw_wcB HEC, Paris: https://www.hec.edu/en Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, Netherlands https://www.rsm.nl/ 👋 Connect with Sananda Biswas (Host): YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@SanandaBiswasPhD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sananda-biswas-PhD/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sananda.biswas.phd #️⃣ Hashtags: #DecodingPhaseTransitions #DPTPodcast #CareerJourney #PhDLife #Academia #CareerStrategy #DrNaZou #UniversityOfBath #Economics #InternationalEducation #AcademicCareer #InternationalCareer #ResearchLife #CareerPlanning
What this episode covers
Decoding Phase Transitions - the DPT Podcast || Ep.2 || Prof. Na Zou's Global Career Journey (Part 2)Join us for Part 2 of our deep dive with Professor Na Zou, Assistant Professor at the University of Bath! If you're a student, PhD candidate, or aspiring academic, this episode is packed with invaluable insights.We pull back the curtain on how Professor Zou leveraged her student activities to secure a job offer immediately after her Master's degree. Then, we dive into the often-challenging but critical PhD experience, discussing how to successfully navigate multi-disciplinary research projects and make them work for your long-term goals. Perhaps most importantly, Professor Zou reveals the paramount importance of networking at academic conferences and shares how her exceptional presentation skills led directly to powerful word-of-mouth recommendations that were instrumental in landing her subsequent academic positions.Learn directly from her firsthand experiences on how to strategically approach career development in academia and beyond. This episode offers a roadmap for anyone looking to build a global career and navigating through complex career phases. In this episode, we'll explore:∙ The unexpected career benefits of active student participation∙ Navigating the visa process and settling into a new city∙ Strategies for PhD students tackling complex, interdisciplinary research∙ Why honing your presentation skills is a non-negotiable for career advancement∙ How professional referrals, born from excellent work, can create new opportunities.∙ Importance of mastering the art of networking at academic conferencesDon't Miss Part 1: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpBrJR6vLts&list=PLK152Z45fAKnLusMqOyY5Q0zf2Fz9wiXk] - Hear about Na Zou's academic foundations and her strategic career planning.Decoding Phase Transitions (DPT Podcast): Your go-to source for understanding the unique career 'phases' of leading professionals in academia and industry. Subscribe for more expert interviews, insightful physics lectures, and practical skill-building content.🎙️ About This Episode's Guest:Prof. Na Zou: Assistant Professor, Strategy and Organization Division, School of Management, University of BathLinkedIn: / nazou Homepage: https://sites.google.com/view/nazou/?... Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?... Her Research Areas: Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Social Networks, Corporate Strategy⏰ Episode Chapters:0:00 Welcome & Episode Introduction02:11 Student Activities at IDEON15:55 Getting a Job 18:59 Moving to Stockholm 20:04 Why a PhD?29:14: The PhD interview 34:59 PhD Journey begins 37:40 Initial challenges in the city 48:38: Managing multi-disciplinary project during PhD58:40 Job offer 01:04:18 Reasons for choosing Academia 01:11:18 Shall academia prep for industry? 01:18:48 Networking at conferences01:23:25 Fun Trivia 01:29:40 Final Thoughts🔗 Resources Mentioned / Related Links:University of Lund: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/home Goethe University Frankfurt: https://www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/studyIDEON - the innovation hub https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/research-and-innovation/innovation-and-entrepreneurship/innovative-environmentsPrezi for making presentation: https://prezi.com/DEMOLA: https://www.demola.netBocconi University, Milan, Italy : https://www.unibocconi.it/en/applying-bocconi?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=13526854705&gbraid=0AAAAAD3Uxdcs1u7yqHPJ0AGzAPVcQeAat&gclid=Cj0KCQjwyIPDBhDBARIsAHJyyVh2aajbelTzQ81-luwsy7z2jzF9fITEmqrMCxhfE6xzljYeT3erErkaAiBjEALw_wcBCopenhagen Business School, Denmark : https://www.cbs.dk/enEsade (Barcelona and Madrid), Spain: https://www.esade.edu/enINSEAD, France: https://www.insead.edu/executive-education/masters-and-execed?CampaignId=GGL_Search_A&SiteId=GGL&CampaignName=EUR-DE[EN]_GGL-Brand[GEN]-INSEAD-Pure_MT-Phrase&AdId=JOINTBRANDPURE&device=c&term=insead%20business%20school_(e)&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=
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Decoding the Path to Global Career || Prof. Na Zou || Economics || DPT Podcast || Ep. 2
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