PhD Impact – a year of workshops on inclusion, norms and power
Female doctoral students are particularly vulnerable to inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment, according to a report produced by two KTH researchers in gender studies earlier this year.
The PhD Impact project wanted to do something about it and during 2024 they have organised seven workshops with themes related to inclusion, norms and power. The goal has been to empower the doctoral students to recognize discrimination, especially in the context of Swedish law and KTH’s guidelines.
Andressa Mazur is a doctoral student at KTH and one of the team behind PhD Impact. She says that PhD Impact's main goal is to share knowledge.
“Everything students learn by attending our workshops can be applied to their work environments, their communities outside KTH, and their future careers. We aim to plant the seeds for a future with greater equality and diversity in academia and industry worldwide, as our students pursue many different paths after completing their PhDs,” she says.
For the first couple of workshops, they decided the topics themselves, to ensure they would be welcoming to doctoral students who might have limited background knowledge on equality and diversity. Many come from different cultures and bring diverse perspectives, and they wanted to create an inclusive environment.
“Then we gathered input from students and have tried to incorporate this into the workshops. When possible, we have invited specialists in those areas,” says Andressa Mazur.
Positive feedback from participants
The feedback has been positive. the most valued part is the reflection, where participants have had to reflect on how they can apply what they’ve learned to their own context and what they can do to support their colleagues.
“In general, it is challenging and takes a lot of courage and reassurance for someone to step up and speak out in situations involving discrimination or to express their discomfort," says Andressa Mazur.
Mattias Åstrand is one of the doctoral students who has participated in the workshops. He also thinks that the opportunity for reflection has been valuable.
“As a white European male, I am of course privileged, but as the people I care about belong to groups that are more vulnerable to discrimination, I felt a need to learn more. Listening to and talking to others has increased my understanding of what it can be like for them. This is a great initiative – something that KTH was missing and needed,” he says.
The work continues in 2025
The PhD Impact team have already planned several workshops for 2025. The plan is to have a workshop a month and bring researchers from KTH and other universities in Sweden that work with equality, diversity and related topics. They will touch on topics such as mental health, neurodiversity and safe spaces.
“I’d really like to thank every student who showed up for our workshop during this year, who shared their experience and wish to make a difference and gave us feedback to improve our work,” says Andressa Mazur.
Text: Åsa Karsberg