Researchers

Tena Obradović

Tena Obradović
PhD Student
Tena Obradović
UniZAG

Seconded from the University of Zagreb (UniZG) to RMIT University (Melbourne) 

2 months, Summer 2019
I am a visiting Ph.D. student from University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business. I stayed at RMIT University, Melbourne for two months. I enjoyed my stay at RMIT University. I got a chance to meet professors and other Ph.D. students who are also working in the area of open innovation.
I participated in a workshop organized by RMIT University called “The beauty of open innovation” and I learned a lot about practices of open innovation from experts working at the university and in the industry. The biggest challenge was the time difference which affected my communication with people working in Europe but it was a good thing that I stayed for two months so I got a chance to completely get used to it.
 
The best thing about project OpenInnoTrain is that you are surrounded by professionals who are interested in the same field as you. Also, it is a great chance to travel around the world and experience new cultures and traditions. I had the best time and can not wait for the next adventure! 😊

Impact of OpenInnoTrain on my career and organisation

Tena's field of interest includes the open innovation paradigm, specifically in Industry 4.0. She spent two months at RMIT Melbourne and one month at RMIT Europe, which resulted in personal and professional improvement. 

How has the secondment created new perspectives for applying your knowledge in practical situations?

I did a literature review on open innovation in manufacturing and found out that this topic is important for both academia and practice. It is very important for research results to be public and accessible so others can learn and benefit from them. Also, we must not ignore failures because they can also be valuable. During my research I perceived the importance of successful and effective results translation between academia and industry.

I established close cooperation with an experienced researcher from the field of Fab Lab. I got the insight about literature on this topic and already existing surveys and questionaries. During my research, I got the advice on how to improve my questionnaire. I participated in workshops and got the chance to hear about open innovation practices from industry partners. It helped me as a researcher to hear first-hand what do we need to explore more.

How has the secondment created new career perspectives for you?

Since in Croatia, only my mentor, Prof. Dabić is teaching open innovation, it was crucial for me to travel and to meet other experts in this particular field. I got a chance to talk with professors from RMIT Australia researchers from RMIT Europe and to meet other Ph.D. students. I participated in webinars and panel where we exchanged knowledge.

I further improved my English-speaking abilities and learn about other cultures and customs. I also learned how to adapt to working in different time zones and organising online meetings accordingly.

How has the secondment given you global mobility opportunities?

I improved my English, my communication skills, meet a lot of new cultures and friends. I learned how to quickly adapt to new surroundings and establish new productive working environment. I got familiar with different teaching methods. I also improved my skills in working with VOSviewer, and databases such as Scopus and Wos.

How has the secondment given your organisation opportunities?

I learned a lot during my secondments and got the chance to share it with my colleagues in Croatia. During my secondment I participated in a few events organised by RMIT which gave me an insight and guidelines on how to successfully organise our future events. I connected with many project partners who volunteered to be a keynote speaker at our events.

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