Communities of Research & Practice

Bringing together Cambridge researchers with professionals and practitioners from non-academic spaces, our monthly Communities of Research and Practice provide a regular check-in to support development and innovation.

Participants take it in turns to provide a starting point for discussion. Inputs are relevant to the given Community’s interests and may air a current challenge, introduce a new area of work, or build on discussion from a previous session.

Attendees respond with questions, reflections, connections and suggestions. This mode of interaction supports professional development, enables peer-to-peer learning, and ensures our researchers keep in touch with concerns, developments, knowledge and needs outside the academy.

To foster confidence and enable non-competitive exchange, all Community activity remains confidential and is not reported or recorded outside this setting. Participation is by-invitation. Our original Community of Research and Practice focuses on religion & discrimination. A new Community is now being established on faith & ecology. Both meet online for 45 minutes per month.

Case study | Religion and discrimination

Our first Community was initiated in April 2024 with 10 invitees. Community rules prevent us reporting directly on content, but topics have often carried forward in practical collaborations. For example, discussion around media management prompted a co-run skills session for Cambridge students. Meanwhile, late-stage PhD candidates have the opportunity to share findings and discuss their wider relevance.

Running under the Chatham House Rule, this community provides space to discuss some of the gnarlier challenges in a sensitive domain. 

Keen to join a Community?

Upcoming sessions are highlighted in our Events calendar. Invitations are managed by our Programme Manager, as part of the Cambridge Interfaith Knowledge Hub partnership scheme.