- Convenor:
-
Yaqian (Sarah) Li
(University of Bath)
Send message to Convenor
- Format:
- Roundtable
- Stream:
- Creativity, participation and collaborative co-production in methods and practices
Short Abstract
This panel invites participants to reflect on academic practice in an increasingly complex world. Through shared experiences, we’ll explore how collaborative, interdisciplinary research can foster a more connected, inclusive, and impactful academic community.
Description
I would like to dedicate this panel as an opportunity for us to pause and reflect deeply on our research practices and what it truly means to be an academic in today’s world. In an era marked by growing complexity and global challenges, the traditional silos that once separated disciplines are becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Rather than serving us, these boundaries often limit the kinds of conversations and collaborations that contemporary problems call for, and can make it harder for us to respond to the layered realities we encounter in our research and in the world.
This space is intended not just for introspection, but also for sharing insights and experiences that highlight exemplary models of collaborative and interdisciplinary research. By fostering open dialogue and mutual learning, we can begin to reimagine academic work as a collective endeavour—one that recognises collaboration as already central to academic life, yet still unevenly structured. This panel invites us to reflect on how collaborative practices might become more genuinely inclusive, more attentive to difference, and more capable of sustaining those whose contributions are too often overlooked, diluted, or rendered peripheral within scholarly dialogue. We must also acknowledge that this is an unfinished and ongoing process: one that resists easy resolution, and that requires continual care, reflexivity, and collective effort.
Accepted contributions
Contribution short abstract
The discussion presents a bold, competency-based model that breaks academic silos, blends global fluency with technical rigor, and uses experiential, portfolio-driven assessment to shape adaptable, ethical, future-ready graduates.
Contribution long abstract
As global challenges grow increasingly complex and interconnected, higher education institutions must reimagine how they prepare students to thrive as ethical, innovative, and globally attuned leaders. This discussion presents Plaksha University’s competency-based, experiential education model, implemented through the Grand Challenge Scholars Programme (GCSP), as a framework for developing future-ready graduates equipped with both technical expertise and transversal skills. Moving beyond traditional, siloed learning, the model integrates five core competencies, research and innovation, global and intercultural fluency, interdisciplinary collaboration, entrepreneurial mindset, and civic and social responsibility. Drawing on portfolio-based assessment tools such as logbooks, reflective essays, and project portfolios, the programme emphasises authentic learning outputs over attendance or examinations. It embeds human-centred design, intercultural engagement, and community partnership to cultivate adaptability, empathy, and problem-solving skills essential for navigating rapidly evolving global landscapes. The discussion highlights practical takeaways for educators and policy makers: designing intentional, flexible frameworks; linking internationalisation to purpose-driven learning; and fostering cross-sectoral ecosystems that connect students with researchers, start-ups, NGOs, and industry mentors. It argues that competency-based internationalisation offers a scalable, context-sensitive model for institutions seeking to meaningfully enhance student agency, employability, and global citizenship in the 21st century.
Contribution short abstract
This study examines male allyship in Bangladeshi universities, revealing how collaborative action, mentorship, and policy reforms enable men to support women’s leadership and build inclusive, connected, and equitable academic cultures.
Contribution long abstract
Achieving inclusive and equitable leadership in higher education requires intentional collaboration across roles, disciplines, and institutions. Gender disparities in leadership remain a significant challenge worldwide, and Bangladesh is no exception. These inequalities are shaped by structural, cultural, and political factors that limit women’s access to leadership and decision-making. While men’s role in promoting gender equity is increasingly recognised, the concept of male allyship—men actively supporting women’s leadership—remains underexplored locally.
This paper draws on an online focus group titled The Role of Male Allyship in Empowering Women for Leadership in Higher Education, held on 18 November 2025 via Microsoft Teams. Participants, including male and female academics committed to inclusive cultures, discussed male allyship across three areas: conceptual understanding, practical strategies, and barriers to effective practice. Findings demonstrate that male allyship involves a conscious, collaborative, and intentional commitment to promoting gender equity, challenging structural and cultural barriers, and recognising women as equal professionals. Strategies included nominating women for leadership roles, sharing research and professional spaces, advocating gender-responsive policies, and providing mentorship and sponsorship. Barriers included patriarchal norms, identity threats, male-dominated networks, policy gaps, and fear of backlash.
The study highlights institutional strategies to support allyship, such as gender-sensitivity training, transparent reporting, gender-responsive budgeting, formal mentorship, and robust safety mechanisms. By presenting male allyship as a collaborative, multi-layered practice, the paper shows how shared commitment and systemic reform can create more inclusive, connected, and impactful academic communities.
Contribution short abstract
This study explores how international students in South East Wales navigate rising living costs, housing insecurity, and social integration challenges. Findings reveal economic precarity and adaptive resilience, highlighting the need for policies that prioritise well-being and equity.
Contribution long abstract
International student mobility has surged post-pandemic, yet research on well-being beyond England remains limited. Wales attracts thousands of international students annually but rising living costs and constrained work opportunities pose significant challenges. This study explores how international students in South East Wales negotiate economic pressures, social integration, and psychological resilience within this evolving landscape. Drawing on a survey of over 400 respondents, predominantly postgraduate, we examine experiences of accommodation, part-time employment, and coping strategies. Findings reveal a precarious economic context: while many students combine study with paid work, opportunities often fall short of meeting tuition and living expenses, prompting reliance on informal networks and adaptive behaviours. Housing arrangements range from shared spaces to insecure tenancies, amplifying stress. Academic challenges were less widespread but included difficulties with assessment and language for some. Social integration emerged as uneven - some students actively engage in cultural and community life, while others remain isolated. Integration was framed through social ties, skill development, and legal security, signalling aspirations that extend beyond academic success. Psychological responses varied, with optimism coexisting alongside emotional strain. By situating these experiences within global debates on well-being and social justice, the study highlights structural vulnerabilities and adaptive strategies shaping international student life. We argue for targeted interventions: fair work opportunities, financial counselling, and community-building initiatives - to enhance resilience and equity. These insights contribute to reimagining development through inclusive higher education policies that prioritise well-being as a cornerstone of social justice.
Contribution short abstract
A large number Public schools in India have closed and the number of Private schools are on the rise. With over 45.7 million out of school children in the age of 8-13 years, the EFA agenda seems to be out of place. UnregulatedPrivate Schools will never absorb these children.
Contribution long abstract
School Education India- Educational attainments, SDG 4 Goals and the EFA agenda
Abstract
The Indian Constitution having embarked upon the status of a Welfare State in 1947, the agenda for literacy and educational initiatives became a compulsion.
Although much progress has been made in enrolment in primary schooling since 2000, completion rates in Secondary Schooling have not been satisfactory.
There has been an alarming growth of Private Schools, up from 29.24 percent in 2017-18 to 32.64 percent in 2023-24. On the other side, the percentage of Public Schools has fallen to 67.34 percent in 2023-24 from 74.6 percent in 2016-17. The State has not come up with an adequate number of Public Schools to meet the agenda of EFA.
Recent statistics reveal that there are over 104000 “Single Teacher” schools and over 12300 Schools with “zero enrolments”. About 47.44 million children aged 6-17 were found unenrolled in school in 2023-24; this represents 16.8 percent of the total projected child population within this age range. The Agenda for EFA calls for a cohesive approach to eradicate literacy. This calls for efficient governance and regulations to meet the EFA Agenda of eradicating illiteracy for a new world order. MDGs is a challenge to our government. It is imperative that our Government revamp its policies and programs with proper regulations in order to meet the agenda of EFA.
Prof. Sandipan Bhattacharya.
Email: sandeepan.1967@gmail.com
Cell - 91-9733006123 (WhatsApp)
Contribution short abstract
This contribution will reflect on a public, hybrid classroom led by the Governance Action Hub that brings students, practitioners, and policymakers into dialogue on democracy and climate justice. It explores collaborative learning as a way to bridge academic, policy, and practice boundaries.
Contribution long abstract
This discussion piece reflects on an ongoing learning exploration led by the Governance Action Hub, a global initiative that convenes practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and civil society actors to learn together and improve how democratic and climate governance challenges are addressed in practice. The Hub uses learning spaces and practitioner networks as tools to bridge boundaries across sectors, disciplines, and lived experiences.
The piece will reflect on the University of Maryland’s redesigned 'Challenges for Development' course, beginning in Spring 2026 as a public, hybrid classroom focused on democracy and climate justice. The course is taught by Dr. Mario Picon, a lecturer at the university and Senior Director of the Governance Action Hub. Rather than being a standalone academic course, it operates as a shared learning space that brings practitioner networks into dialogue with students. Insights emerging through the course feed back into the Hub’s ongoing work on strengthening collaborative governance and building a global platform of governance innovators.
At the roundtable, we will share early lessons from this initiative, structured around three strands: (a) the open, hybrid classroom as a collaborative learning space; (b) how dialogue between students, practitioners, civil servants, and activists reshapes understandings of democracy, participation, and agency; and (c) what this experience reveals about collaborative learning as a pathway toward more coordinated climate action across sectors and regions.
Rather than presenting a research paper, this reflective contribution offers insight into how academic practice can become more connected, inclusive, and responsive at the interface of research, policy, and practice.