Summary
We are excited to welcome Xenia Adjoubei, Research Specialist in territorial analysis, sustainability and emergent tech, and Associate Director at Studio intO to our upcoming Advancing Research session on Wednesday, 29 March at 9:45am-10:15am. Xenia will share her insights and experiences on a range of topics, including the power of community-led research, the democratization of knowledge, and the impact of new-old tools in promoting social good. Her talk will be an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of the role of research and innovation in addressing humanitarian crises and promoting social justice. We invite you to join us for this inspiring and informative event, and to be a part of the conversation about the future of research and innovation in our communities.
Key Insights
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The Researchers in Residence program empowers communities by involving them in the research process.
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Initial focus was on the Ukrainian refugee crisis, facilitating the collection of personal narratives.
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Using tools like Google Earth, they create visual representations of refugees' journeys, connecting data with human experiences.
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Prioritizing the employment of refugees as researchers enables funds to flow back into these communities.
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Data sovereignty is critical for marginalized groups, especially in understanding their rights regarding personal data.
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Innovative mix of qualitative and quantitative methods engages diverse audiences effectively.
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Emphasizing de-westernization in research practices to include community voices.
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The flexibility of tools like Dovetail allows researchers to adapt methods to suit community needs.
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Future projects may include climate justice and data sovereignty topics, furthering the program's impact.
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The project showcases how commercial research can contribute to humanitarian efforts meaningfully.
Notable Quotes
"It's essential to use your professional services to aid communities during crises."
"Anyone can give money, but contributing your skills is a more efficient way to help."
"We realized that very few people were gathering the stories of those affected by the crisis."
"We wanted to represent the human experience and the diversity of stories through our research."
"We funded the salaries of researchers from the refugee community to ensure the impact trickles down."
"Using Google Earth allowed us to map individual journeys and connect them to personal stories."
"It's vital to make our tools accessible in a way that respects individual communities."
"Data sovereignty is about understanding the complexities of data rights and governance."
"We aim to empower researchers from affected communities to take charge of their narratives."
"Our goal is to create a more informed dialogue around data ownership for vulnerable groups."
















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