Two of the key principles for collaborative research promoted by the Rethinking Research Collaborative are to redress evidence hierarchies, and to respect diversity of knowledge and skills. These principles are central to debates around decolonising development and shifting power in development research, policy and practice. In this seminar, Dr Rachel Hayman will share her experiences of multi-directional collaboration amongst academics and practitioners from different parts of the world. These experiences span co-production in publishing, contributions to academic research projects as a non-academic partner, and advocacy with academic institutions and funding bodies on research partnerships. As an academic-turned-practitioner with an agenda, the seminar will be as interactive as possible and will conclude with discussion around what we can do to act on these principles.
BIO
Dr Rachel Hayman is Director of Research, Communications and Learning at INTRAC, a not-for-profit organisation based in Oxford that supports the strengthening of civil society around the world. She has a doctorate in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh where she also taught politics and international development between 2006 and 2011. Rachel’s areas of expertise span civil society in international development, aid politics, aid effectiveness, governance, and participatory methodologies. She has a strong interest in the interface between academic research and development practice, and actively promotes collaboration in research initiatives as well as more creative use of knowledge and evidence in policy and practice. She is active in the Rethinking Research Collaborative as well as professional research associations and practitioner researcher networks. Select publications include the co-produced book ‘Negotiating Knowledge: Evidence and experience in development NGOs’ (2016); ‘International NGOs and aid withdrawal: experiences from a practitioner perspective’, Voluntas (2017, with Sarah Lewis); ‘Unpacking civil society sustainability: looking back, broader, deeper, forward’, Development in Practice (Special Issue), 26(5), 2016.
12.30 – 13.30 – Brown bag lunch from 12pm
see also globalresearch.web.ox.ac.uk/r4d-series#collapse1838156
