Techne
Techne Values Statement
Techne is committed to principles of social justice and equity. Our ongoing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) work recognises the need to dismantle historic systems of inequality in Higher Education and academic research cultures, and acknowledges the ongoing impact of discrimination on doctoral researchers and staff from underrepresented and marginalised groups in society. We are passionate about creating a research culture that reflects the world we aspire to live in, where every member of society is valued, supported, and has equal access to opportunities, and where we work together to advance our collective understanding.
This work is fundamental to everything we do, from our recruitment practices and engagement with partners, through our training and student support activities, to our work with student outcomes and alumni. We encourage research methodologies that harness the potential social impact of the Arts and Humanities, and are fully committed to ethical research practices. EDI is embedded in our organisational structures, with a dedicated EDI Committee that currently meets six times a year and works with our Management and Administrators Group, alongside the other Techne committees, to address and improve EDI by sharing the knowledge and expertise of our member institutions and partners.
Our work on EDI is informed by an ‘asset-based’ approach. This means that our work to address structures of inequality is informed by an explicit recognition that diversity and difference are strengths that improve the experiences of everyone in Techne and enhance the quality of research.
A file-version of this statement is available here for ease of reference. This is an evolving document which will change in response to community discussions and feedback.
Our Doctoral Researchers
Techne particularly welcomes applications from doctoral researchers from groups underrepresented in UK Higher Education. Many of these groups intersect and we recognise that officially designated definitions of identity can also reproduce structures of inequality.
Within the limitations of these definitions, we nevertheless recognise in particular the need to support:
• Doctoral researchers from racial backgrounds historically underrepresented in UK Higher Education and/or Higher Education careers, including doctoral researchers from Black and Global Majority backgrounds.
• Doctoral researchers from religious or ethnic backgrounds historically underrepresented in UK Higher Education and/or Higher Education careers.
• Doctoral researchers who identify as having a disability, including those with mental health conditions, neurodivergence, and specific learning differences.
• Doctoral researchers who identify as LGBTQIA+.
• Doctoral researchers who are the first in their family to go to university.
• Doctoral researchers who live in a geographical area where access to UK Higher Education is statistically low.
• Doctoral researchers who are care-experienced or are carers.
• Doctoral researchers returning to formal education after a break of 5 years or more.
Moreover, we are aware that many researchers may identify with multiple categories from the above list, and as such we encourage practices which recognise, support and seek to understand the varied ways in which these identities interrelate and their impact on researchers’ Higher Education experiences.
We have addressed recruitment of historically underrepresented groups via:
• Our Diversity Hub
• Online open events and application workshops
• Additional mentoring support through our recruitment processes for applicants from underrepresented groups
• Rigorous selection processes which require all reviewers and moderators to undertake unconscious bias training
Techne believes that the work our doctoral researchers undertake is a key part in how we can affect change. We actively encourage projects which address questions of social justice and underrepresentation.
Our Aims
• To promote intellectual curiosity and generosity; empathy and active listening; and compassion and respect for all members of the community.
• To provide opportunities for open dialogue and productive collaborations.
• To create inclusive environments and challenge prejudice, developing a new generation of research leaders who will lead the conversation on equality in Higher Education.
• To adapt our recruitment and internal funding application processes to encourage and support applicants from underrepresented groups.
• To ensure that all of our events are fully accessible and inclusive by working with accessible venues, by requiring EDI impact assessment for all events, and by providing an inclusive event checklist to support planning.
• To involve doctoral researchers in all stages of event planning and organisation, and to solicit their feedback feedback, using it to inform future events.
• To invite a diverse range of speakers and presenters at events, to promote diverse approaches to Congress themes, and to include a wide range of event structures and formats.
• To require all of our doctoral researchers and committee members to undertake EDI training.
• To offer targeted training and support for all of our doctoral researchers across a range of EDI issues.
• To ensure that our communications and training materials adhere to up to date guidance on inclusive language.
• To provide support and training for Techne supervisors which enables them to fully support our doctoral researchers.
• To celebrate local and community knowledge, and create spaces for dialogues that reorient thinking about questions of social justice.
• To ensure that EDI is embedded in our work with our partner organisations.
• To support doctoral researchers from underrepresented or marginalised communities, and to support networks exploring key issues relevant to marginalised communities, by allocating funds through our Community Networking Fund.
• To work with our institutions and external providers to support student wellbeing and mental health.
• To invest in virtual environments such as Gather Town, hosting online committee meetings, and committing to offering at least 50% of our training provision (including Congresses) hybrid or online, in order to encourage and support access and environmental sustainability.
• To develop our focus on sustainability by incorporating this into our EDI Committee reporting, identifying mechanisms to address environmental justice through our processes, training and events.
Our EDI Action Plan
Our 2024-27 Action Plan details our commitments to EDI for the next phase of our operation. It is an evolving document that is regularly updated to respond to student feedback, changes in student demographics and/or legislative changes. The action plan outlines our planned actions with regard to four key areas of provision:
• Recruitment
• Training
• Student and Supervisor Support
• Strategic Initiatives