Bogor, 17 July 2023 – KONEKSI, the Australia Indonesia Knowledge Partnership Platform, was invited to hold a special session at the Indonesian Regional Science Association (IRSA) Conference 2023. KONEKSI dedicated this session to exploring the pressing issue of intersectional inequality in social sciences. Titled “Situating intersectional inequality and equity in the social sciences: where are we and what can we do?”, the session shed light on the importance of equity research, strategies to combat inequity, and the emerging strengths and opportunities for social science research in Indonesia to contribute to advancing social equality, in all its forms.
Moderated by Dr. Angie Bexley, KONEKSI Head of Technical Delivery, Partnerships, Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion, the session opened with a provocation: does equal access to opportunities translate to equal outcomes or do we need specific equity measures to achieve equal outcomes for all? A recent article authored by two of the panel presenters, Dr. Inaya Rakhmani, Director of the Asia Research Centre at Universitas Indonesia and , Dr. Zulfa Sakhiyya, Associate Professor at the State University of Semarang (UNNES) highlighted the paradox that while the social sciences is tasked with uncovering inequalities, the discipline itself is not immune to gendered, generational and regional based bias and inequalities.
Distinguished early, mid and senior career academics shared their personal experiences where intersectional disadvantages of being female, early career researcher and a from a non-English speaking can compound marginalisation within the social sciences. Dr. Rakhmani, stressed that the hierarchical nature of how university structures shape how people get treated, and these are often marked by unethical practices. Sharing a similar experience as an early career researcher, Dr. Sakhiyya, shared her personal experiences of being assigned more of the ‘household tasks’ in her faculty. Because of her gender, Dr Sakhiyya experienced being expected to take notes in faculty meetings and perform the unrecognised and unrewarded work of committee work. Dr Sakhiyya and Dr Rahkmani agreed that they have found support in creating a community of early and mid career researchers to share experiences and knowledge.
Prof. Dr. Tri Nuke Pudjiastuti, MA, from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), brought attention to the need for a new paradigm where social science research is focused on policy and innovation impact, rather than just publishing in journals. Engaging with policy makers, ‘”speaking their language” and presenting data in ways that they can understand are all skills required by social scientists to influence equity agendas, added Dr Rakhmani.
The session also explored the impacts and prevalence of predatory publishing in Indonesia – where fake journals target academics and request payment. All of the panelists agreed that this was a global problem faced by academics, however, certain academic communities were more vulnerable than others. For example, disconnected and disadvantaged regional universities do not have the experience to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ journals and need the editing support that ‘good’ journals can provide to improve quality.
Internationalisation also offers opportunities. Dr Pudiastuti acknowledged the importance of international collaboration to increase research quality and knowledge about the system to protect researchers working in regional universities. She expressed optimism about KONEKSI’s strategy to support Australian-Indonesia research partnerships and stated her hope that the platform would explore more of these equity issues in the future. Dr Rakhmani and Dr Sakhiyya both agreed that mentoring and supportive collaborations is an effective approach to bridge some of the inequities between researchers in Australia and Indonesia and that Indonesians need the chance to experience different ways of approaching problems and access to new knowledge bases.
The session concluded with Dr. Nuke emphasising the importance of ethical standards and equity in research, particularly when addressing social inclusion.
The KONEKSI Special Session at IRSA 2023 showcased KONEKSI efforts and the dedication of locally led efforts in tackling intersectional inequality within the social sciences.