‘Excellence with Impact’: Language-Based Area Studies, Knowledge Exchange and Research Excellence

‘Excellence with Impact’

Language-Based Area Studies, Knowledge Exchange and Research Excellence

LBAS Knowledge Exchange Roundtable, 25 March 2011

CEELBAS Director Robin Aizlewood welcomed the participants to UCL. In introducing the topic of the roundtable, Dr Aizlewood highlighted that the LBAS initiative had brought about a step-change in the way we understand and implement knowledge exchange, how we make it sustainable, and how we spread its base, collaboratively and individually. As the four case studies to be presented would demonstrate, this had enabled the Centres to substantially advance the impact of their research and capacity building, in quantitative and qualitative terms.

It was nevertheless stressed that the debate was still very much open on how we define and measure impact, whilst there remained much for the Centres to learn and achieve in the future. For this reason, the opportunity to work with the AHRC and other LBAS Funders to build the success of the Initiative so far into a second phase was extremely welcome. The Centres looked forward to enhancing their collaboration and engaging with key research challenges, across their regions and globally, in areas such as migration and mobility, new media, energy security, and health and wellbeing.

The roundtable then opened with four presentations as illustrative examples of how the LBAS initiative has delivered impact:

A major research project on second tier cities in China (Jeremy Clegg, WREAC): Research carried out in conjunction with the China-Britain Business Council, and commissioned by UK Trade and Investment, has produced an index of opportunities for British business in less well-known ‘second tier’ Chinese cities. This has been widely publicised throughout the UK and China, including in media coverage of a Chinese Ministerial visit to 10 Downing Street. The impact of this academic research would be sustained into the years ahead, for example through follow-on commissions from UKTI and funding for the Confucius Centre for Business.

A major research project on second tier cities in China (Jeremy Clegg, WREAC):
Research carried out in conjunction with the China-Britain Business Council, and commissioned by UK Trade and Investment, has produced an index of opportunities for British business in less well-known ‘second tier’ Chinese cities. This has been widely publicised throughout the UK and China, including in media coverage of a Chinese Ministerial visit to 10 Downing Street. The impact of this academic research would be sustained into the years ahead, for example through follow-on commissions from UKTI and funding for the Confucius Centre for Business.

The Rethinking Jihad conference, September 2009 (Paul Starkey, CASAW): Aiming to advance debate beyond the stereotypes associated with the term Jihad, the conference highlighted the indispensable value of interdisciplinary research in providing a more nuanced understanding of these questions. The conference attracted 240 participants, with papers made available to the public via podcasts on the CASAW website (in addition to numerous publications forthcoming). The event has enabled critical discussion of a key but complex subject to reach beyond academe to a much wider audience, highlighting how a 'traditional' conference can be an occasion for generating major impact.

The Rethinking Jihad conference, September 2009 (Paul Starkey, CASAW):
Aiming to advance debate beyond the stereotypes associated with the term Jihad, the conference highlighted the indispensable value of interdisciplinary research in providing a more nuanced understanding of these questions. The conference attracted 240 participants, with papers made available to the public via podcasts on the CASAW website (in addition to numerous publications forthcoming). The event has enabled critical discussion of a key but complex subject to reach beyond academe to a much wider audience, highlighting how a 'traditional' conference can be an occasion for generating major impact.

Research on migration and minority rights (Richard Berry, CRCEES): The Centre’s research around migration, minorities and identity, notably the work of the University of Glasgow’s Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network and the activities of the Centre’s Baltic Studies Group, has created vital academic-public policy interfaces bringing together researchers and practitioners, NGOs and policy makers working with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Among other examples of impact, the Centre has provided advice to the governments of Estonia and Latvia regarding minority rights; to the Council of Europe and governments of Armenia and Romania on non- territorial cultural autonomy; and created new academic links with a number of international universities.

Research on migration and minority rights (Richard Berry, CRCEES):
The Centre’s research around migration, minorities and identity, notably the work of the University of Glasgow’s Refugee, Asylum and Migration Network and the activities of the Centre’s Baltic Studies Group, has created vital academic-public policy interfaces bringing together researchers and practitioners, NGOs and policy makers working with migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Among other examples of impact, the Centre has provided advice to the governments of Estonia and Latvia regarding minority rights; to the Council of Europe and governments of Armenia and Romania on non- territorial cultural autonomy; and created new academic links with a number of international universities.

The role of knowledge exchange partnerships (Julian Cooper, CEELBAS): As an illustration of a successful model of knowledge exchange (which also includes partnerships with NGOs and Chambers of Commerce), CEELBAS experts have established a series of collaborative roundtables with in-house researchers at Chatham House and the EBRD, feeding into areas of current policy debate, such as economic modernization in Russia, health & demography in Russia and China (in association with the British Inter-University China Centre), governance and corruption in ‘New Europe’, and the regional impacts of the global economic crisis. These events have shown the value of building organisational partnerships which are sustainable and given committed institutional and administrative support, instead of being dependent on (often fragmented and temporary) individual contacts and initiatives.

The role of knowledge exchange partnerships (Julian Cooper, CEELBAS):
As an illustration of a successful model of knowledge exchange (which also includes partnerships with NGOs and Chambers of Commerce), CEELBAS experts have established a series of collaborative roundtables with in-house researchers at Chatham House and the EBRD, feeding into areas of current policy debate, such as economic modernization in Russia, health & demography in Russia and China (in association with the British Inter-University China Centre), governance and corruption in ‘New Europe’, and the regional impacts of the global economic crisis. These events have shown the value of building organisational partnerships which are sustainable and given committed institutional and administrative support, instead of being dependent on (often fragmented and temporary) individual contacts and initiatives.

In response to these four case studies, and drawing on their own expertise, representatives from the LBAS Funders were invited to offer their comments and observations.

Stuart Fancey (Assistant Director, Research and Innovation, SFC) stressed that it was not so much the nature of the dissemination of research and teaching that mattered, as the actual impact that this dissemination achieved, whether on specific individuals or society as a whole.

Astrid Wissenburg (Director of Communications, ESRC) noted the difficulty in assessing conceptual impact in addition to societal impact and capacity building, but underlined the importance of doing this in order to strengthen the Research Councils’ case for future funding.

Shearer West (Director of Research, AHRC) observed that knowledge exchange strategies should encompass public-, private- and third-sector as well as international engagement, and stressed the importance of data, as opposed to anecdotal evidence, in providing tools for measuring impact. The successful cross-institutional collaboration fostered by the LBAS Initiative was highlighted as in itself a welcome form of impact.

Chris Millward (Associate director and Head of Skills Policy, HEFCE) applauded the breadth and diversity of the LBAS Initiative, and called on the Centres to reflect on how their work can impact on student choice at undergraduate level. It was also underlined that in being able to demonstrate capacity building, it was necessary to able to demonstrate research and training outcomes.

A fruitful and wide-ranging debate among all the participants then followed, addressing the above points and considering the three questions for discussion: How do we measure impact? How do we devise and implement knowledge exchange strategies? Is interdisciplinary research the key to greater impact? Among the many useful insights generated, it was stressed that:

- The Research Environment Framework was a key part of what might be described as the ‘eco-system of research’

- Knowledge was not a ‘static’ object; its exchange was crucial in advancing academic understanding and taking the research agenda forward

- CEELBAS interaction with the BEARR Trust (an NGO promoting Health in Russia) had demonstrable impact through changes in practice on the ground (new collaborations and projects between major charities) as well as in rejuvenating the work of the Trustees and helping practitioners formulate their activities

- Language training was something that has also to be recognized as a form of impact, as was the pedagogic work of the LBAS Centres

- Even small-scale impact in local communities overseas is measurable; impact outside the UK will be relevant to the UK in an inter-connected world

- Organisations such as Chatham House had a clear need for solid and distinguished academic research; it was felt that in this respect CEELBAS had brought a guarantee of impartiality and high level expertise to their events

- The Second Phase of the LBAS Initiative should be seen as an opportunity to bring about greater coordination between the Centres, for example through training programmes and inter-regional research

- Impact was not something that could always be realized in the short term – for example, time had been needed to set up the LBAS Centres initially, hence the importance of Phase 2 in realizing the impact of the research and capacity building already carried out

- It would also be important to try to secure funding specifically to sustain and develop language training and collaboration across the LBAS Centres

Participants

Stuart Fancey (Director, Research & Innovation, ESRC), Chris Millward (Associate Director & Head of Skills Policy, HEFCE), Shearer West (Director of Research, AHRC), Astrid Wissenburg (Director of Communications, ESRC).

Robin Aizlewwod (UCL SSEES, CEELBAS), Richard Berry (Glasgow, CRCEES), Jeremy Clegg (Leeds, WREAC), Julian Cooper (Birmingham, CEELBAS), Christopher Davis (Oxford, CEELBAS), Terry King (Leeds, WREAC), Alena Ledeneva (UCL SSEES, CEELBAS), Clare McManus (Glasgow, CRCEES), Paul Starkey (Durham, CASAW), Hilde de Weerdt (Oxford, BICC).

Neal Ascherson (UCL SSEES Advisory Board), Robert Bickers (Bristol), Sir John Birch (UCL SSEES Advisory Board), Richard Connolly (Birmingham), Peter Duncan (UCL SSEES), Dan Holloway (BICC), Ann Lewis (BEARR Trust), James Nixey (Chatham House), Anne Pauwels (SOAS), Slavo Radosevic (UCL SSEES), , Emma Widdis (Cambridge), Maria Widdowson (UCL SSEES, CEELBAS), Ulrike Ziemer (UCL SSEES).

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