In our Research Culture Uncovered conversations we are asking what is Research Culture and why does it matter? In this episode Ged Hall discusses a recent opinion piece on the role of pracademia within business schools with his co-authors Helen Hughes (lead author), Jill Dickinson and David Loseby

Here are three key takeaways from their conversation:

🔍 Diverse Career Pathways: We need to establish more varied career pathways to attract and retain pracademics. By recognizing and valuing previous practitioner experiences, institutions can foster diverse faculty communities that benefit from broad skillsets and insights.

📊 Aligning Metrics and Indicators: It's crucial to stimulate an international task force to align metrics, indicators, and values that measure pracademic contributions effectively. This alignment will better reflect the diverse outputs and impact pracademics have in both academia and practice.

🌍 Systems and Infrastructure Development: Creating supportive local systems and infrastructure is essential. This involves refining recruitment practices, induction processes, and career development programs to cater to the unique needs of pracademics, ensuring they thrive and contribute meaningfully.

If you would like to read the full opinion piece the details are:

Hughes, H. P. N., Dickinson, J., Hall, G., & Loseby, D. L. (2024). Enhancing Pracademia in Business Schools: Designing Systems That Enable Impact. Business & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00076503241290403

Resources and outputs mentioned in the discussion were: 

• Professional Development for Practitioners in Academia (edited collection) https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-33746-8
• The series of professional development workshops on pracademia for the Committee of Heads of University Law Schools and the launch of a new, associated seedcorn funding stream.
• Pracademia: Combining Academic and Practitioner expertise (LinkedIn Group)

All of our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists: 

• Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research Impact Heroes with Ged Hall
• Open Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research talent management
• Meet the Research Culturositists with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research co-production
• Research evaluation
• Research leadership
• Research professionals

Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social (new episodes are announced here), @openresleeds.bsky.social, @researchcultureuol.bsky.social

Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here) 

Leeds Research Culture links: 

• Researcher Development and Culture Website
• Our Concordat Implemention plans and progress 
• University of Leeds Research Culture Statement
• University of Leeds Responsible Metrics Statement 
• University of Leeds Open Research Statement 
• University of Leeds Research Culture Strategy - launched September 2023

If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: [email protected]