Despite the inclusion of social science and arts practitioners and scholars in international funding schemes, teams face challenges in writing academic papers that merge input from all disciplines involved.

This project funded within by the British Academy through the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy via the Global Challenges Research Fund from March 2020 to December 2021 seeks to create a detailed understanding of the infrastructure, engagement, resources and policies required to educationally transform a community in order to contribute to reducing the negative impacts of drug-related violence and crime.

A team lead by Dr Katarzyna Borkowska (School of Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Glasgow, UK) has secured research funding from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) under the aegis of its contribution to the University of Glasgow to develop projects associated with  Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) research. The project entitled: ‘Gender Equality Starts at Home: Reducing Gender Inequalities in Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania’ brings together the following Co-Is:

• Dr Lavinia Hirsu (School of Education, University of Glasgow, UK)
• Dr Amina Kamando (University of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania)
• Dr Keneilwe Molosi-France (University of Botswana, Botswana)
• Dr Nancy Njiraini  (Strathmore University, Kenya)

All of the international co-Is from the global south are former PhD students from the School of Education at the University of Glasgow.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing public health issue in Malawi and Tanzania. Recently with residents in Malawi, we explored the possibilities of a new community arts-based methodology to develop the local understandings of NCDs essential for effective intervention.

Based on the partnerships and pilots of this study, this workshop will solidify and share new arts-based methods for public health research.

PI: Zoë Strachan, School of Critical Studies, College of Arts