Abstract

Some days I find inclusion work overwhelming, some days I rise to the challenge, some days I feel alone and unsupported. I see the struggles and pain of others and I read the damming statistics on diversity; yet little has changed. Higher Education is not inclusive. Higher Education doesn’t respect and value difference. Through metrics, targets, and precarious employment, Higher Education cajoles us into being and thinking in certain ways. Higher Education is not open.

The increasingly diverse student population and staff base, though, means that this needs to change and Research Management and Administration has an important role to play in ushering in this change and creating a more inclusive and open research culture.

In this immersive, interactive and performative paper, I will queer and unsettle research management through song, dance, and audience participation. Drawing on critical race theory (Collins, 1999), outsider theory (Eburne, 2018), and queer theory (Ahmed, 2006, 2012), I explore how to make research cultures more inclusive (Smith, 2015). Drawing on my own lived experience of research management and inclusion work, this interactive cabaret seeks stimulate thoughts on the place of equality, diversity, and inclusion work within research management and administration.

By the end of the session, participants will have
* Obtained a good understanding of issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion and how they pertain to research management.
* Considered opportunities to develop best practice in terms of developing an inclusive team culture.
* Gained confidence in talking and discussing issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion