Letter of recommendation from professors without prior contact I am a postdoctoral researcher at a German university and aim to apply for a visiting lecturer program to be a visiting professor at a foreign university. For this, I am required to provide two reference letters from two professors working at German universities but not at my university. As most of my collaborators are either from my university or from international institutions, the options are pretty limited for me.
Isn't it silly to request such a letter from a professor without prior direct contact? If yes, how am I supposed to fulfil this condition?
Yes, it is silly. Boneheaded, actually. I assume that they don't want many applicants and I wouldn't put a lot of hopes on this position.
But you might ask some of your current colleagues for advice. It might be that your work has been shared with other German scholars who might be able to provide a (mild) recommendation based on your published work.
You could also ask for an exception, explaining your situation. Some other arrangement might be made to happen if you, otherwise, seem like a good candidate.
Good luck and keep looking.