Human Development interchange addresses coloniality, positionality and emotional labour

Last week the School of Human Development hosted a faculty-wide interchange event focused on decolonising research. The event created space for critical reflection on how universities can move beyond extractive practices and towards more equitable, collaborative approaches to knowledge-making. The need for universities to better recognise, value, and redistribute the emotional labour performed by colleagues from underrepresented backgrounds was also explored.

The event’s speakers included, Dr Adriana Moreno Cely, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and Prof Audrey Bryan, Dr Anne Marie Kavanagh and Dr Majella McSharry, DCU. These colleagues supported participants to critically consider not only the histories of the colonial knowledge systems that shape research agendas, but also the everyday ways in which universities can reproduce extractive dynamics. Speakers reminded staff that the legacy of extraction is not only material but also epistemic. Universities often benefit from the intellectual labour and lived experiences of communities while returning little in terms of recognition or resources.

Participants reflected on whose voices are amplified and whose are marginalised in research, and how ethical collaboration can move beyond compliance to genuine accountability. Opportunities were provided for the exploration of relational research approaches grounded in care, co-creation, justice and accountability and the necessity for epistemic humility and reciprocal relations was emphasised.

The highlight of the day was a powerful panel discussion featuring four remarkable speakers, Isabel Machado da Silva and Briana Fitzsimons, DCU, and Dr Maggie Green and David Friel, ATU Donegal. The panel discussion was expertly chaired by Dr Jones Irwin, DCU, whose skilful moderation balanced intellectual rigour with empathetic attentiveness.

Panellists spoke candidly about positionality and the emotional labour required when navigating academic spaces. Each speaker shared how their personal and cultural identities shape not only the questions they ask but also the expectations placed upon them by colleagues, students, and their institutions. The panellists offered a powerful reminder that the act of researching while minoritised often involves managing microaggressions and systemic exclusions alongside scholarly contributions. They also reflected on the importance of care and solidarity in navigating these challenges.The panel discussion resonated deeply with participants who left with a deeper understanding of the “invisible” emotional labour untaken by minoritised colleagues, whether that is sitting on diversity committees or representing inclusivity in their faculties and schools. This work, although crucial, frequently goes unrecognised in formal workload models or promotion criteria.

What emerged strongly from the interchange was that decolonising research cannot be left solely to those most affected by structural inequities. It requires institutional recognition, resource allocation, and collective responsibility. Creating a just university is ongoing work, grounded in deep listening, diverse scholarship and knowledge systems, critical reflexivity and relational accountability. Change is possible. Actively resisting epistemic injustice is our duty.