On June 15, 2023, the University of British Columbia hosted its inaugural Partnering in Research conference at UBC Robson Square where participants gathered for a full day of learning and conversation around the practice and power of equitable and engaged research with non-academic partners. Organized by the UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit and UBC Community Engagement, the conference brought together 57 speakers and 187 attendees — UBC faculty, staff, graduate students and external collaborative partners — to explore the ethical, cultural and political challenges of partnered research while developing strategies to drive real community-centered change.
Read the UBC's 2023 Partnering in Research Conference REPORT
About the conference:
Working together for societal impact.
Today's societal challenges are urgent and complex; they demand the creation of new knowledge and its accelerated translation into action, and cannot be resolved by the actions of a single institution or group. That's why partnered research, a collaborative approach that brings together academic institutions and wider communities, is crucial for tackling issues such as climate change, health disparities and social inequalities. At UBC's Partnering in Research Conference, we're bringing together 200 faculty, staff, students and community partners from across BC to discuss how we can collaborate meaningfully for greater impact.
Join us as we explore the ethical, cultural and political challenges of partnered research and develop strategies for driving real change.
What is partnered research?
We define partnered research1 as the collaboration between institutions of higher education and wider communities for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources in a context of partnership and reciprocity.
The purpose of partnered research is to foster connections between university knowledge and resources and those of the public and private sectors to enrich scholarship, research, and creative activity; to address critical societal issues; to prepare educated, engaged citizens; to support reconciliation and decolonization; to strengthen civic responsibility; and to contribute to the public good.
What to expect
The event is open to UBC faculty, staff, graduate students and external partners who collaborate with UBC.
- Hear inspiring stories of collaboration from fellow researchers and external partners
- Discover how to establish and maintain ethical, equitable and inclusive partnerships
- Network with a diverse group of practitioners from a variety of research disciplines.
Organized by the UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit and UBC Community Engagement in collaboration with a cross-campus advisory team and graduate student advisory committee.
Sponsors:
We acknowledge that UBC’s campuses are situated within the traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh, and in the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation and their peoples.
1 This definition is adapted from the Carnegie Foundation's definition of community engagement, used in the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/elective-classifications/community-engagement