The Library led Research Cafes are up and running again for 2022.
What is a research café?
Research Cafes are an opportunity for researchers to come together with an audience made up of students, staff and the general public to give a 10-minute presentation about their current or recent research in a relaxed, friendly environment. The presentations are then followed by a short Q&A session. Occasionally the Research Cafes have a particular theme, however, generally they are non-specific and open to research on any topic. As an example of the breadth of coverage, topics presented last year included; practice research, post emancipation racial politics and geopolitics in the British colony of Jamaica, and lesbian identities at The National Fat Women’s Conference of 1989.
Why should I get involved?
Research Cafes provide many benefits for both the speaker, who has an opportunity to engage with the public and promote their research, and the audience, who have the chance to hear first-hand what it’s really like to undertake research, find out any problems that were encountered and how they were overcome, and ask any other questions about the research that they may have.
Our research cafes are completely inter-disciplinary and as such facilitate a unique bringing together of people from across Goldsmiths and beyond, enabling cross fertilisation of ideas, sharing of best practice and the establishment of new connections.
Where do they take place?
Formerly delivered in the social area on the ground floor of the library (hence the name), following the pandemic we have now moved our Research Cafes online, affording the opportunity to attend to an even greater number of people. All Research Cafes are held 12-1pm on a Wednesday afternoon, so you can pop along on your lunch break.
When is the next cafe?
Our next event takes place on Wednesday 2nd February 12-1pm and is a Covid special highlighting the work of Dr Claudia Bernard, Professor of Social Work and Head of Postgraduate Research in the Department of Social, Therapeutic and Community Studies, alongside colleagues; Dr Anita Sharma and Dr Teresa Peres. They will speak about their research for Co-POWeR (Consortium on Practices of Well-being and Resilience in black, Asian and minority ethnic families and communities) which focuses on the ways in which discrimination is worsening the impact of Covid-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic people in the UK. A full description of the research can be found here.
Subsequent cafes scheduled include:
16th February, 12pm-1pm – LGBT special
30th March, 12pm-1pm – Non themed, all topics welcome
How do I sign up?
To sign up as an attendee for any of our upcoming Research Cafes visit our Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/goldsmiths-research-cafe-tickets-240341867997
All Research Cafes will take place on Microsoft Teams. You will receive an email containing the Teams link and instructions for joining on the day of the event.
To participate in the research cafes as a speaker please email Elizabeth Williams, Academic Support Team Manager: E.Williams(@gold.ac.uk) or Mark Preston, Subject Librarian: M.Preston(@gold.ac.uk)
We look forward to welcoming you at one of our events!
The Research Café team
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