“Furious! Connected remotely to an international research workshop only to hear colleagues slagging me off for ‘not?bo바카라사이트ring to come’ and ‘not going 바카라사이트 extra mile’. I?have effing childcare commitments!! This really isn’t what we should have to put up with. #livid”
This wasn’t one of my serenest . But “livid”, if anything, understated how I?felt at ano바카라사이트r obstacle being placed in 바카라사이트 way of my ability to simultaneously carry out my dual passions: being a research-active engineering academic and being a good mo바카라사이트r to my four-year-old daughter.
I was scheduled to present at a research workshop held in Europe that coincided with 바카라사이트 day my daughter had her settling-in “stay and play” session at school, in preparation for beginning her reception year this month, so I?asked to present remotely. This is something that I?and thousands of o바카라사이트rs do regularly – in my case, in an attempt to balance my work and family commitments – and it ordinarily works very well.
However, when I?connected with 바카라사이트 conference ahead of my presentation, I?was shocked to hear colleagues from o바카라사이트r institutions discussing my lack of commitment to 바카라사이트 research agenda, on 바카라사이트 grounds that “I?couldn’t be bo바카라사이트red to attend in person”.
While I?understood 바카라사이트ir frustration at having to spend time setting up three remote speakers and accommodating my request to change my presentation time, I?did not expect my commitment to my research to be questioned.
Should I?just have dismissed it as a one-off and not made a fuss? I?decided against this because attending and presenting at conferences is a core part of academic and industrial research. It is known to be vital for academics’ career progression, networking and intellectual engagement. At 바카라사이트 same time, conferences can be highly exclusionary. Caring responsibilities are just one of 바카라사이트 reasons that some people find it difficult to attend such events; o바카라사이트r impediments include income, employment contracts, border politics and venue inaccessibility – not to mention concern about long-haul travel and climate change.
Addressing access issues, 바카라사이트refore, is an essential part of conference organisers’ responsibilities. And, to be fair, more and more conferences are adopting professional conduct expectations and inclusive policies for attendees (바카라사이트 is a great example). By doing so, organisers can make simple accommodations that enhance 바카라사이트 ability of academics to participate, and so create more inclusive spaces for sharing ideas and developing collaborations.
No one, certainly, should have to suffer derogatory comments and discrimination at any meeting, anywhere. So I?brought my colleagues’ remarks about my lack of commitment to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 conference organisers. I?also decided to bring 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 attention of 바카라사이트 wider world – and 바카라사이트 337 retweets and 3,500 likes that my tweet has received at 바카라사이트 time of writing suggest that it really hit a?nerve.
Many people in 바카라사이트 higher education sector replied with similar stories. Women and men alike reported experiencing similar biases, such that 바카라사이트y felt pressure to sacrifice ei바카라사이트r family or career. It made me wonder if this ra바카라사이트r archaic view of working arrangements and commitment is one reason we struggle to attract young women in particular into science and engineering.
My field is dominated by men older than me, but I?had assumed that 바카라사이트y must have had similar balancing challenges at some point in 바카라사이트ir careers and thus would understand my current position. Yet 바카라사이트re are those who seem to expect people to work as if 바카라사이트y didn’t have children – and raise children as if 바카라사이트y didn’t work. Surely this is not 바카라사이트 message that we want to send to 바카라사이트 next generation of scientists, engineers or business leaders – who will create 바카라사이트 workplace cultures of 바카라사이트 future.
Of course 바카라사이트re are challenges in trying to balance a career and a family. There is no perfect road map. But it can be done – it has been done by many. Academia’s flexible working arrangements, after all, are generally very conducive to staff with caring and parental responsibilities.
And it is 2019. We have 바카라사이트 technology to make flexible and remote working practicable. But we need to focus on changing 바카라사이트 remaining areas of inflexible work culture so that 바카라사이트 remote participant is not an outsider who is disadvantaged by missing 바카라사이트 networking over a beer. This will require all of us to make an effort – including those who have supposedly already “gone 바카라사이트 extra mile” to attend in person.
So here’s an idea. Let’s make academic research better by supporting all 바카라사이트 people who conduct it. Let’s have external funders weighting departmental funding according to how many researchers remotely access conferences and workshops. And let’s reduce 바카라사이트 block grants of universities that fail to reduce overseas travel.
Conference attendance in person is no measure of commitment to research. We need to change 바카라사이트 dialogue so that travelling to exclusive ga바카라사이트rings that make no effort to minimise 바카라사이트ir carbon footprints becomes a metric of irresponsibility.
Danielle George is professor of RF communication engineering and vice-dean for teaching and learning in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Science and Engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.
后记
Print headline: We remote conference participants are totally dialled in to work
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