What is your role at the European Institute, and how does your role relate to the Beyond Eurocentrism programme?
I am the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Officer in the European Institute (EI). One of my responsibilities in this role is collaborating on the Beyond Eurocentrism programme. I am committed to embedding the principles of Education for Sustainability into my contributions to the EI. A key aspect of this is decolonising curricula and in the context of the European Institute, this can mean both decentring Europe and going beyond Eurocentrism in the approach to the study of Europe. The Beyond Eurocentrism programme is a key part of the EI’s efforts to foster an academic environment built on the principles of Education for Sustainability and through my work in the EI, I hope to support both the BE programme and the Institute as a whole, in working towards this goal.
As well as working as the EDI officer in the EI, I am also an alumnus of the EI, having recently completed my MSc degree in International Migration and Public Policy! I think that having this perspective of both a current staff member and alumni has allowed me to support this programme in being something that all members of the EI community can collaborate on, ensuring that everyone can enjoy and be included in the Beyond Eurocentrism Programme.
What do you think about the EI's commitment to going beyond Eurocentrism?
The fact that the European Institute is committed to going beyond Eurocentrism, in its teaching, research, events and activities, is something that makes me proud to be a member of the EI community. Seeing first-hand the commitment to this approach to the study of Europe coming from, our academic and professional services staff, as well as our students and alumni, demonstrates to me that the Beyond Eurocentrism programme is something that will not only flourish but also have a lasting and continued impact in the zeitgeist of the European Institute.
Do you have any highlights from your time at the EI that relate to the focus of the Beyond Eurocentrism programme?
As a student at the European Institute, I had the opportunity to work as a Change Maker, conducting a research project titled: ‘The decolonising of the taught postgraduate curriculum in the European Institute’. This project focused on understanding student perspectives, experiences, and recommendations. This research report included actionable recommendations for the European Institute to consider going forward. A highlight of my time at the European Institute as a member of staff has been having the opportunity to implement a number of these recommendations. For example, at the start of this academic year, in collaboration with Dr Jennifer Jackson-Preece, Sarah Gerwens, Dr Marina Cino Pagliarello, and with the support of Natalie Grace, Adam Judge, Carl-Ludwig Campbell and Professor Simon Glendinning, the EI offered a professional skills workshop to the students titled: ‘EI Applied Research Internship: Decolonising the Taught Curriculum’. This workshop allowed our students to develop their research skills and contribute research to the department to help the EI understand how it can work towards diversifying and decolonising its curricula. Seeing this workshop take place and supporting the students in conducting their research was a big highlight for me and I am excited to see the impacts of this work going forward!
What parts of the Beyond Eurocentrism programme do you find the most exciting?
It is hard to pick out just one aspect of the Beyond Eurocentrism programme that I find the most exciting, since so many things spring to mind! The public events programme is always fantastic, the contributions of our academic and professional services staff are incredible, and the enthusiasm and contributions from our students are always amazing! Overall, it is this collective approach that the Beyond Eurocentrism programme takes that makes me most excited. The collaborative nature of this programme across the EI community is something that makes the Beyond Eurocentrism programme special!