Knowledge Co-Production, Communities, Social Justice and Human Rights

Most higher education institutions are operating in an neo-liberal environment. Yet many universities aspire to use evidence-based research to inform policies and practice, to instigate social change, to promote social justice, human rights and socio-economic development. Extensive investment has been made to collaborate with partners in the third sectors, local, and national government to co-produce research that has a real positive impact on user communities. These collaborations can be seen as a form of inclusive education and capacity building, as external partners can be trained to conduct high quality research. At the same time, higher education institutions are doing real world research that addresses issues of social justice and global human rights challenges. These range supporting refugee and immigrants, ethnic and religious minorities, youth groups, victims and survivors of sexual and gender based violence, sex trafficking and modern slavery, and more broadly other civil society organisations. However, attempts in different countries have met with varying degrees of success. The rise of populism and far-right extremisms have presented ever more challenges to these efforts. This session invites contributions on case studies of successful collaborations between higher education institutions and external partners in the co-production of knowledge and how universities use scientific empirical research to effect social change and inform policy and practice that benefit research user communities.