Beyond our concrete tower: breaking down barriers between academia and community

How can researchers work ethically and authentically with communities?

This workshop will give you the knowledge and skills to meaningfully work with communities to generate real-world impact research.  

This session will explain why authentic community engagement matters in research and provide tips on approaching common barriers in working with communities. You'll participate in activities to build skills in navigating power dynamics, co-design, and knowledge exchange. 

Workshop goals: 

• Knowledge: Participants will walk away with an increased knowledge of how can incorporate community engagement into research   
• Understanding: Participants have a deeper understanding of the benefit of community engagement for community and UTS
• Celebration: Showcasing and celebrating community engaged projects and the reciprocal nature of partnership 

Facilitators:

Amber Loomis (they/them), Senior Social Impact Practitioner, UTS Centre for Social Justice & Inclusion
Amber Loomis is a proud trans, genderqueer, bi+ advocate with experience in advocacy, grassroots organising and community-led research. Amber’s background includes work in policy, health care advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers in the United States, and domestic, family, sexual violence prevention/response. They currently work with the Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion facilitating place-based community engagement. Outside of their work at UTS, they are a community organiser with Sydney Bi+ Network. Amber is passionate about using anti-oppressive, strengths-based approaches, and healing justice frameworks to help build a world where communities can thrive. 

Najmeh Hassanli (she/her), Researcher and Educator, UTS Business School
Najmeh, a Senior Lecturer at UTS Business School, researches how leisure, tourism, and events drive social change, focusing on inclusivity and empowerment for underrepresented communities. She collaborates with community organisations and not-for-profits, particularly those supporting migrants and refugees in Australia, as research partners. These partnerships yield impactful projects demonstrating the power of researcher-community collaboration in effecting positive social change. Her commitment to community engagement extends to serving on the board of Human and Hope Australia, a not-for-profit empowering communities through local initiatives. 

Pavlina Jasovska, Academic Researcher and Educator, UTS Business School
Pavlina is a Senior Lecturer in International Business & Strategy at UTS Business School. Her research informs how individuals and organisations operate and strive in a multicultural environment. In her research, she applies the co-creation approach to address needs of community partners. Some of her recent projects involve community-led organisations in the context of people with multicultural or refugee backgrounds. Her work yielded several reports for community partners with impact beyond academia.

Allan Teale, Indigenous Research Engagement Officer, Faculty Research Engagement
Allan's research focusses on First Nations home ownership, master plan development for First Nations and marginalised communities in Australia. Having completed a PhD focused upon the Indigenous voice and impacts to their lands through infrastructure developments using the Public-Private Partnership model, Allan has a solid grounding and capacity to work with communities across Australia. In 2023 Allan completed a Churchill Fellowship building strong relationships with universities in North America and Canada and is a member of the TIISHA research group which undertakes evaluation work for government, and community projects in remote First Nation communities.

Fatma Mohamed, committee member of the Somali Welfare and Cultural Association (SWCA)
Fatma is community worker with qualifications in community development and social welfare. For over 25 years she has worked with the new and emerging communities in numerous roles in NGOS and both local and state government.
As a volunteer, Fatma works tirelessly for the well-being of African women and children. She is the co-founder of Somali Welfare & Cultural Centre (SWCC), a voluntary community organisation that works towards building community capacity for African refugee and migrants in Western Sydney.

Check out the other sessions are at the UTS Community Engaged Symposium: 

• 12:30—1:30 pm: Panel session - Engaged Teaching and Learning at UTS
• 2:00—3:30 pm: Workshop - Indigenous Research: Community led, informed and actualised
• 2:00—3:30 pm: Workshop - Evaluation with communities: who gets to decide what "good" looks like?
• 4:00—5:30 pm: Panel session - From extraction to reciprocity: building authentic university and community partnerships
• 5:30—6:30pm: Refreshments and dinner will be served, plus an opportunity to view the Community Engagement and Impact exhibition