The Graduate Inequality Review (GIR) Annual Conference, held on 12 July 2024 at the Manor Road Building, was a truly global event, with more than 50 researchers and practitioners from all corners of the world, joining both in-person and online. Â
The half-day conference titled ‘Convergence in Times of Divergence: Documenting and Overcoming Inequality’, is centred on the effects of inequalities, and how individuals and institutions alike can overcome these difficulties. The event commenced with respective keynote speeches from the Head of Research in the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI) and GIR Faculty Advisor Jamie Lachman, and DSPI alumnus Robin Simpson.Â
The conference featured presentations within key thematic areas of climate justice, governance, and intersectionality. Nine early career researchers, mostly based in countries from the Global South, presented their work. The panel experts, representing a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, moderated the discussions and provided insights based on their knowledge and expertise. The panel experts and moderators are Bill Finnegan from the Oxford Department for Continuing Education, Fran Bennett from DSPI, and Charoula Tzanakou from Oxford Brookes University.Â
The Research Poster exhibit was another highlight of the Conference. It enabled researchers to share their work in a visual format and allowed a dynamic and vibrant exchange of ideas during the Coffee Breaks. A total of 12 research posters entered the Research Poster Competition. Â The research poster by Aiyesha Kaur Swann from the University of Birmingham received the highest number of votes from Conference participants and was bestowed the Best Research Poster award.Â
This event would not have been made possible without the generous support from the ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership, Oxford Trinity College, and DSPI.Â
The success of the GIR Annual Conference 2024 reflects the collaboration and efforts of the organising committee, consisting of some members of the GIR Editorial Board as well as external project coordinators, who are all students at the University of Oxford. The involved members of the GIR Editorial Board are Marianne Vital, Ivan Au, Luena Ricardo, Thomas Procter-Legg, Matthew Gannon Jr., Srijani Datta, Emilie Dellon, Luisa Costa, Marie Graef, and Emma Somos. External project coordinators who lent excellent support are Katia Jones and Taiki Uesugi.Â
The Graduate Inequality Review is a student-run publication based in DSPI at the University of Oxford. It is a dedicated platform for students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to partake in dialogues on topics related to inequality. Since its inception in 2021, the GIR has brought together researchers from a wide variety of fields and disciplines within and outside the University through conferences and publications.Â
