Seminar 7

In the last seminar of the series respected public figures reflected upon the future agenda on EDI at work. This was followed by an Open Space exercise in which participants identified key issues in EDI at work that need addressing in the future.

The Open Space exercise identified three key issues that need addressing in the future:

1. Our understanding as to how we can ensure effective EDI in the work place is still limited. Specifically, it became clear that we need to move on from individual EDI initiatives with questionable effects to actions at the organisational level that make a real difference.
2. D&I management in organisations is more often than not informed by best practices rather than evidence based. This was attributed to the lack of access to relevant research findings. Most journals still do not provide Open Access and scientific jargon makes it often difficult for practitioners to translate research findings into practice.
3. Key challenges faced in EDI practice remain unaddressed by researchers because there is limited exchange between researchers and practitioners. The seminar series provided a useful starting point but more such exchanges are needed. A knowledge transfer platform with the opportunity to exchange ideas and build a community of practice was identified as a viable way forward.