Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Celebrating our LBU Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange
The theme of this year's festival was Advancing Inclusivity and Diversity in Research and Innovation.
Our keynote was delivered by Professor Udy Archibong MBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) at the University of Bradford. Udy's inspiring talk highlighted the importance of strong leadership and institutional vision in creating enabling conditions for truly inclusive research. She spoke about the need for universities to be catalysts for diversity of thought, and to foster an environment that values everyone, encourages collaboration and inclusion at every stage of research and innovation, and gives everyone a sense of belonging.
Our LBU Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) team led an interactive session, Shaping EDI Language Together, prompting group discussion around inclusive language and what we could do as a university to make our language more empowering and inclusive.
Professor Silke Machold, Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at LBU led a session to reflect on EDI Progress and Challenges in Research and Innovation, discussing the challenges and our actions at LBU to address these, from embedding our institutional EDI framework to developing our promotion criteria and internal policies.
Our annual Festival of Research and Knowledge Exchange is a highlight of our university's calendar, giving colleagues and research students the opportunity to make new connections, share ideas and learn from each other and our external speakers. It is also about celebrating our progress and, through our awards, recognising what we value. This year's theme of Advancing Inclusivity and Diversity in Research and Innovation has prompted important conversations and reflections around how inclusive approaches can strengthen our research culture and environment at LBU.
Our Pathways to Progress: A Candid Conversation panel discussion provoked an honest and engaging discussion about life as a senior researcher. Thank you to colleagues Professor Jill Dickinson, Dr Jamiu Dauda, Professor Emily Zobel Marshall, and Professor Susan Backhouse for sharing their experiences and advice around topics from balancing their research with teaching to blending corporate experience and business partnerships with research, and overcoming challenges and setbacks.
In our Research Spotlight Talks, three researchers at differing stages of their careers presented their current research projects. Marielle Reuser, a postgraduate research student in the Leeds School of Arts, shared her research, Menopause: Making Space, working collaboratively with women working in the NHS to help them turn their emotions into images using generative AI; Dr Sandra Obiora, an early career researcher in Leeds Business School, presented her research investigating women's underrepresentation in STEM subject leadership in higher education in the UK and Ghana; and Dr Agata Fijalkowski, a mid-career researcher in Leeds Law School, shared the fascinating history of 20th Century Polish defence lawyer Aniela Steinsbergowa, and her dedication to achieving social justice.
As part of the national Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) at 50 celebrations, Richard Lamb, Head of KTP Programmes at Innovate UK, joined us to share the history of KTP, their equality and diversity ethos, and the transformational power of the programme to help businesses make innovative advances using university knowledge and skills.
Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards 2025
As part of the Festival, we celebrated our second annual Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards. Colleagues and postgraduate research students gathered to learn more about the fantastic work taking place across the University and celebrate our outstanding winners and nominees.
Dr Camelia Dijkstra, Director of Research and Knowledge Exchange Services, said: “Our annual Research and Knowledge Exchange Awards really shine a light on the impactful achievements, partnerships and dedication of colleagues across our research and professional services community at LBU. Our award categories celebrate the diverse contributions of colleagues who are developing Collaborative Partnerships and Networks, Community Impact, Inclusive Research Culture, Open and Responsible Research, Professional Excellence in Research and Knowledge Exchange, and Research-Informed Teaching Impact.
"We received more than 50 nominations in this year's Awards, a fantastic response that reflects the breadth of talent, dedication, and impact across our community. Congratulations to all of our amazing nominated colleagues, and heartfelt thanks to everyone who took the time to submit a nomination and celebrate the achievements of others."
You can read about all about our award-winners in each of the six categories on our Research and Enterprise blog.
During the awards ceremony, we revealed the three winners of our Postgraduate Research Student Photo Competition - The Inclusive Lens: Research in a snapshot:
Winner: Jennifer Rainford, School of Humanities and Social Sciences - The Burden of Chronic Pain
Second prize winner: Rachel Stewart, School of Health - A Bouquet of Stories
Third prize winner: Akanksha Arora, Carnegie School of Sport - Designing as "us"
In this article
Professor Silke Machold
Silke Machold, PhD, is the Pro-Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation at Leeds Beckett University.
