Diversity in Research Podcast

Creating equitable research collaborations between the Global North and Global South has been a struggle for many years. How do you create equitability when there is a structural imbalance in the core element of research: funding? And how do you balance the need for global collaboration with differences in values on diversity issues like gender, race, LGTBQ+ issues, etc.?

These are not easy questions, but the Guild of Research Intensive Universities (The Guild) and African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) are trying to navigate these challenges through the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence (CoRE). We chatted with Sean Rowlands, senior policy advisor at The Guild, about the initiative, the role of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda moving forward, and how they intend to work with diversity. 

It was a great chat about bottom-up initiatives and top-down policies, insisting on equity, funding, building trust and learning from each other. 

We hope you’ll all follow the CoRE project and see how they work with equity, which the rest of us can learn from.

The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong.

It is sponsored by Digital Science.

To learn more:

Learn more about the Africa-Europe Clusters of Research Excellence initiative, led by The Guild and ARUA here: https://www.the-guild.eu/africa-europe-core/ 

African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA): https://arua.org/about/ 

The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: https://www.the-guild.eu/about/

You can connect with Sean Rowlands on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-rowlands/ 

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

A core element of our work is to make research managers key promoters of diversity in research and research management. But sometimes, we felt a little alone with this agenda. Then, along came Kris and Joey. Kris A. Monahan is the President of NCURA (National Council of University Research Administrators), and Joey Gaynor is chair of NCURA's International Region. We had a great conversation at a conference and decided to move to the podcast. 

The conversation explores their experiences promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in research management in the US and internationally through NCURA. The US context is characterised by political polarisation and state-level bans on EDI initiatives, which impact research institutions. The conversation highlights the importance of having conversations and creating safe spaces to discuss EDI and the need for organisations like NCURA to provide education and training on EDI as well. Balancing global EDI standards with local customs and traditions is a complex task, but organisations can play a role in facilitating these discussions and promoting change. The conversation emphasises the importance of embedding EDI in the research management profession and moving beyond tokenistic approaches.

We love the work NCURA have done so far. Will we try to push them further? Certainly. 

The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. 

Learn more:
You can learn more about NCURA here: www.ncura.edu
You can find the part of the website here: https://www.ncura.edu/DEI.aspx
You can follow Kris here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kris-monahan-ph-d-9a14a817/
You can follow Joey here:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-gaynor-452937211/

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Join us in this conversation with Robin van Kessel, a health policy researcher at the London School of Economics, as we explore the intricate dynamics of health data, digital health technologies, and AI in healthcare. Robin shares his expertise on health data poverty, the challenges of ensuring inclusive health datasets, and the importance of nuanced policymaking in addressing these issues.

We discuss the concept of health data poverty, its implications, and its impact on the inclusivity and accuracy of health research. Robin highlights the catch-22 of building tools for underrepresented communities without adequate data representation.

To improve health data inclusivity, Robin emphasizes the importance of culturally and linguistically appropriate promotional materials and trust-building measures with minoritized communities. We also explore the benefits and limitations of AI in healthcare, the risks of algorithmic bias, and strategies to mitigate these risks, ensuring AI tools are beneficial and inclusive.

Balancing privacy and data utility is another key topic, with Robin discussing technologies like zero-knowledge cryptography and federated learning to protect privacy while enabling valuable data use. He stresses the importance of fostering trust in data collection and usage practices.

Finally, we talk about the problem of "info noise" in policymaking and the need for clear, valuable information. He advocates for encouraging bottom-up innovation and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, suggesting the potential of citizen advisory boards in research. In his final thoughts, Robin addresses the duality of data-related harms, emphasizing the need to embrace new technologies and inclusive practices in policymaking and research.

The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong.

You can learn more about Robin here:

You can read more about Robin at his LSE page: https://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-health/people/robin-van-kessel

You can follow him on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-van-kessel/

The three articles mentioned in the interview can be found here:

-https://doi.org/10.2196/33819
-https://www.bmj.com/content/378/bmj-2022-071913
-https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(20)30317-4

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Like many others, we’ve been exploring the capabilities of AI tools. However, when we started considering their implications in terms of diversity and security, we found ourselves with more questions than answers. We're not afraid to admit that we see potential problems, and we're eager to discuss them. 

That’s why we invited Avi Staiman on the podcast. Avi is the founder and CEO of Academic Language Experts. Soon after the launch of ChatGPT and other AI tools, he started talking about how to use it in research and research management, including in writing proposals. 

We met Avi at a conference on the topic in Brussels in November 2023, and we agreed to take the conversation to the podcast to balance the potential and the risks. It was a long but fascinating conversation, and as expected, we didn’t disagree that much. However, it shows that using AI tools, particularly in writing research proposals, requires skills and consideration. 

We also discuss how AI tools can level the playing field and perhaps even benefit researchers from minority backgrounds.

This episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. 

You can read more about Avi and follow him here:

You can read more about Academic Language Experts at: https://www.aclang.com/

You can follow Academic Language Experts on X: https://x.com/ALETranslation

You can follow Academic Language Experts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/academic-language-experts/

You can follow Avi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avi-staiman-academic-language-experts/

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Being queer is many different things, and we try to remember that our experience as white cis-gendered gay men in the UK and Denmark is not representative. We have long talked about inviting Professor Sandy O’Sullivan on the podcast, and what better occasion than Pride Month? 

Sandy is a Wiradjuri (Aboriginal), transgender/non-binary person, and a Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University, Australia and heavily involved in the Centre for Global Indigenous Futures. 

We talked to them about anti-colonialism, queer studies, indigenous studies in a global perspective and the colonial project of gender. Sandy brought so many perspectives and layers to the conversation and certainly challenged us in how we see and understand the world. 

Happy Pride Month.

The episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong. 

 You can learn more about Sally here:
Their profile at Macquarie University
Their profile at LinkedIn
Their Twitter profile

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

When discussing diversity, we talk a lot about gender, race, and LGBTQ+ issues. There is, of course, more to the issue – and according to Kathrine Deane, disability is the next frontier. 

Kathrine is an associate professor at East Anglia University. She has a disability herself, but that doesn’t stop her from being a force of nature – and an absolute delight to talk to. And she doesn’t compromise. She demands 100% accessibility for everybody. She also embodies that talking about diversity can and should be fun.  

In our conversation Kathrine easily goes from the overarching aims and policy goals to the practical advice and shows us how a lot of this doesn’t have to be expensive. Some of it is expensive, particularly if it comes as an afterthought and we have to rebuild or renovate buildings or labs.

We also talk about allyship and how research managers and administrators can support researchers with disabilities.

The episode is edited and produced by Peter Xiong. 

To learn more about Kathrine and her guidelines:

You can find Kathrine’s Access All Areas in Labs Disability Access Guidelines now available here: https://www.uea.ac.uk/web/groups-and-centres/projects/access-all-areas-in-labs/access-guidelines

You can find her profile at East Anglia University here:

https://arc-eoe.nihr.ac.uk/about-us/people/researchers/katherine-deane

You can follow here on LinkedIn here: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-deane-37178047/

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Not all research institutions have a set of courses or clearly defined career pathways for their researchers. We expect researchers to be born with the necessary skills to project manage, plan their career and support research networks or miraculously achieve them when they get their PhD degree. Pedro Resende co-founded Chaperone, the first personalised online career development platform for scientists. 

We found that concept intriguing and wanted to chat with Pedro about his thoughts on career development and, of course, the role of managing diversity and internationalisation in today’s ideas of skills for researchers. We talked about all of that and how Chaperone addresses this themselves and work with it internally in the company and when developing consultancy and coaching. We also talked about how an increasingly uncertain world affects this and how research managers and administrators can support this. 

This episode is produced and edited by Peter Xiong.

 Links

You can follow Pedro on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-resendescience/

Read more about Chaperone at:

www.chaperone.online

You can follow Chaperone  on LinkedIn at:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/chaperone-online/

You can follow Chaperone on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/chaperone.online/

You can follow Chaperone on Twitter at:

https://twitter.com/ChaperoneOnline

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

This week, we are joined by Sarah McLusky, who is a consultant, trainer and facilitator who helps research organisations and individuals maximise their research and research careers. Sarah hosts the brilliant Research Adjacent podcast where she talks with those working in the research space how they support research to be the best it can be.

In this episode, we delve into the crucial concept of being research adjacent. We explore its significance in fostering inclusion in research and research environments, particularly in understanding why many women hold research-adjacent roles. We also discuss strategies to ensure that the research space remains open and welcoming to all.

To find out more about Sarah and the work she does check out her website: https://sarahmclusky.com/ 

And make sure you listen to her podcast too: https://sarahmclusky.com/research-adjacent-podcast 

This episode was edited and produced by Peter Xiong.

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

One of the challenges with working with diversity is how some of it has been politicised. In this episode, we explore the case of UK Secretary of Science Michelle Donelan. In the fall of 2023, after the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, she accused two researchers of sympathising with Hamas. The two researchers were on the UKRI Expert Advisory Group on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and the secretary insisted that the group be dissolved. 
In this episode, we explore the case - and discuss why this is not only a UK matter. Because at the end of the day, universities are political institutions and if we want to promote diversity (and we do!) - then we have to navigate politics. For the rest of us, we hold the advantage of learning from the UK case and applying these insights in our own academic settings. 

In describing the case, we rely heavily on the reporting done by Research Professional News. Thank you for the in-depth coverage. 

This episode was produced and edited by Peter Xiong. 

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.

Global collaborations in research, teaching and student recruitment remain at the heart of the work of higher education institutions across Europe. The European Universities Association (EUA) recently released a report which explores possible futures of transnational cooperation for universities. Taking an exploratory foresight approach, the report provides the tools for universities to think through how they can prepare for future collaborations.

Not surprisingly, some of the proposed outcomes don't look great for minority groups working in or with institutions. We talked with Anna-Lena from the EUA about the report, how it came about and what it means for the future of university collaborations. 

Alongside the foresight report, key policy messages were released. You can see links to both reports below. This was a fascinating conversation and provides food for thought about how universities can navigate international research collaborations in the future and what this might mean for equality, diversity and inclusion in research.

• The EUA foresight report: "What if? - Exploring possible futures of transnational cooperation for Europe’s universities":https://bit.ly/UNIFE-report
• The policy messages: “"A renewed social contract for Europe and its universities":https://bit.ly/UNIFE-policy-input

This episode was produced by Peter Xiong.

Thanks for listening. Please share, rate, review and follow us on Twitter @Divrespod .

If you're interested in our work with diversity and internationalisation in research, please visit www.diversiunity.com.