What is Dialogue & Knowledge Exchange
Wales is not alone in facing a range of challenges. Conversations up and down the country reflect concerns around the climate crisis and natural resources, regional prosperity, affordability, health and social care, and infrastructure. These and other issues are likely to define our shared future over the coming years.
At the same time researchers, government, business, third sector, rural and urban community organisations are developing, testing and upscaling novel solutions. As they look for answers, they seek collaborations and opportunities that deliver innovation and positive impact on everyday lives.
To build prosperous futures, we need better collaborative processes that develop understandings of our overlapping and different values as well as the complexity of problems we face. Both within and beyond universities, we need to develop a renewed, united commitment to the core values, skills and competencies of dialogue and knowledge exchange.
The Dialogue Centre at Aberystwyth University creates innovative opportunities for collaborative knowledge exchange within a research-led university. By designing and facilitating events, providing training opportunities, and connecting research, business, policy, civil society and other end-users in ways that embrace the process and practice of dialogue, we are working together to pursue Welsh solutions to world problems.
What Is Dialogue?
At Aberystwyth University, dialogue is both an individual practice and a facilitated process in knowledge exchange.
Individuals practice dialogue by actively listening, asking questions and seeking a form of knowing the Welsh call adnabod, which means, ‘having an understanding or knowledge of something or someone, to be deeply familiar with or to have personal experience of.’
The facilitated process of dialogue carefully designs activities that make it easier for diverse groups to create a sense of adnabod together and develop innovative solutions.
What Is Knowledge Exchange?
Knowledge exchange brings together academic staff, research users, industry, organisations and communities to share ideas, data, experience and expertise to increase the benefits of research.
Knowledge exchange is an important element in how research impact and civic mission are delivered across all departments at Aberystwyth University.
By centring dialogue in knowledge exchange, Aberystwyth University prioritises developing collaborative relationships and recognises the role that core values, worldviews and emotions play in impact and innovation.