The institutional page lists directors and heads of department. The publication record shows who is actually running the research. In Vietnamese institutions these are frequently different people, and approaching the wrong one costs months.
Start from the publication record
- Look at corresponding authors on recent relevant papers.
- Check who appears repeatedly across three years of a group's output.
- Vietnamese-language publications reveal groups invisible in international indexes.
- Regional proceedings show active people who publish less internationally.
What titles do and do not tell you
- Senior administrative roles are often just that — administrative.
- Formal academic titles are conferred nationally and are distinct from position.
- A department head may not be running any active project.
- The person doing the work may hold no title at all yet.
Making the approach
- Write to one specific person, not a general address.
- Reference a specific paper of theirs.
- Be concrete about what you are proposing.
- Keep it short and say what you bring and what you need.
When you go through leadership
- Sometimes protocol requires a formal approach at institutional level.
- Ask your working contact whether that is expected.
- Do both if unsure — a formal letter plus a direct message.
- Skipping a required formal step can stall an agreement later.
Verifying before committing
- Speak to previous international collaborators, including ones not on their list.
- Ask what surprised them and what they would do differently.
- Visit if you can — three days on site tells you more than a year of email.
One thing worth remembering
Start from the publication record, not the org chart.
The org chart tells you who holds authority; the publication record tells you who does the work. Approaching the wrong one costs months of polite, well-intentioned correspondence that leads nowhere.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
Why not start from the institutional page?
Because it lists directors and heads of department, while the publication record shows who is actually running the research — frequently different people.
How do you use the publication record?
Look at corresponding authors on recent relevant papers, check who appears repeatedly across three years, and look at Vietnamese-language publications and regional proceedings.
What do titles tell you?
Senior administrative roles are often just administrative, formal academic titles are conferred nationally and distinct from position, and the person doing the work may hold no title yet.
How should you make the approach?
Write to one specific person referencing a specific paper of theirs, be concrete about what you are proposing, keep it short, and say what you bring and need.
When should you go through leadership?
When protocol requires a formal institutional approach — ask your working contact whether it is expected, and do both if unsure.
