Session 12: Winning from Greater Inclusion: Relation between diversity and academic culture
The conditions and opportunities for young researchers can, and more importantly, should be improved worldwide. Fostering inclusivity provides a path toward scientific excellence and sustainable academic culture. Critically, in this context, it is evident that efforts made to encourage inclusivity have been focused on correcting a few imbalances (e.g. gender), while other key imbalances (e.g., age, ethnicity, race, disabilities, parenthood, resident status, social and economic status) and multidimensional discrimination have received less attention so far, consequently affecting the plurality and quality of research and research-based policy advice. Moreover, advice mechanisms tend to amplify any bias, and particular cultural and assessment practices limit diversity in academia, drawing attention to their underlying policies.
In this session, several young and senior academies come together for an exchange on good practices for addressing such imbalances in our research communities and the impact of relevant policies adopted on the national level or encouraged through collaboration mechanisms and funding. This includes a discussion of the limitations that intertwined imbalances and the evaluation practices defining a researcher’s career progression pose on the diversity and inclusion in a research environment. The panel’s insights represent several culturally and historically distinct countries in Europe (Estonia, Sweden, Italy, Ireland, Finland) and around the world (Malaysia, South Africa, Honduras), supplementing the diversity in cultural background, gender and seniority with the diversity in the expertise and experience the participating scholars have in policy development for inclusion and scientific excellence. We see this as an extraordinary opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences, and dreams for the future.
The session will be organised in an interactive hybrid format, engaging both the onsite and online audience through a mix of 1-minute interventions making one central point, in-depth presentations on the main topics of this session, a live panel discussion, and online polls. The short interventions and presentations will be recorded in advance and made available for sharing after the conference.
Watch the video recording of the session here:
Primary session organizers: Helen Eenmaa, Estonian Young Academy of Sciences, and Yensi Flores Bueso, Global Young Academy
