Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on International Research Collaboration: A Pilot Survey Results

While the global economy suffered monumentally from the COVID-19 pandemic, issues such as hiring freezes, stopped lab and fieldwork, plagued flow of international students, and constrained travel particularly disrupted international research collaborations. Using a pilot survey, this paper examines how the robustness, resilience, and sustainability of international research collaboration were impacted by the pandemic. Thirty-one participants from a university completed the survey. The findings indicate that: the overall impact of the pandemic on international research collaboration was moderate; focusing on the robustness of global research is most relevant for managerial or remedial actions; research operations, project logistics, and research process are more effective for increasing the robustness of global collaboration; focusing on project logistics can help enhance the resilience of research; and time management is crucial for making international collaboration more sustainable. The research results can help make international research programs more robust and sustainable in such adverse conditions.