Diversity and inequity have a different meaning depending on a region or country's culture and history. With this series, the ALBA Network wishes to picture a truly diverse and global view on issues faced by underrepresented neuroscientists while establishing their career; but also to discuss possible solutions to these challenges, which would be relevant to particular regions of the world by taking into account their specificity.
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Latin America
What are the main barriers to succeed in brain sciences in Latin America?
24th February 2021
In this first webinar, ALBA focuses on issues linked to diversity and faced by underrepresented groups in brain research in Latin America. The session was introduced by the chairs: Prof. Carmen Sandi and Prof. Francesca Cirulli. Then Dr. Ana Silvia presented the results of the IBRO-LARC Survey: Evaluation of gender inequities in the Latin American neuroscience community. Prof. Elaine Del Bel (Brazil) and Prof. Zulma Dueñas (Colombia) briefly discussed the issues faced by underrepresented groups in brain research in their respective countries. In the second part of the event, each panelist introduced a different aspect of the challenges currently faced by underrepresented groups in brain research in Latin America. A discussion with the audience followed the presentations.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
Following this webinar, the panelists jointly wrote a commentary which reviews the issues currently faced by the Latin American (neuro)science community and outlines key actions on multiple fronts to overcome the barriers impeding their global inclusion, visibility and success. "Addressing the opportunity gap in the Latin American neuroscience community" (Silva, A., Iyer, K., Cirulli, F. et al.) was published on 16 August in Nature Neuroscience. Read the article here.
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India/South Asia
ALBA Session: Bias in Indian STEM
Saturday 10th April 2021
ALBA organized a special event on ‘Bias in Indian STEM’ at the NeuroFemIndia Online Conference 2021.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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East & South-East Asia
Diversity in brain research in East & South-East Asia: a gender perspective
Tuesday 11 May 2021
In this webinar, ALBA wished to address gender issues in brain research in East and South-East Asia. Despite progress in key areas in some countries, the East & South-East Asia region's record on gender equality is still falling short. Structural inequalities and discriminatory gender stereotypes continue to limit women's equal participation in brain research, especially at senior levels. Discussing these issues also remain taboo. This webinar wished to highlight the various issues linked to gender in some of the major countries in the region, in order to draw similarities and differences; but also to discuss possible paths to the progression of equity.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Central & Eastern Europe
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Central and Eastern Europe: challenges and solutions
Thursday 26 August 2021
This event is organised on the occasion of the Virtual FENS Regional Meeting 2021 (Krakow, Poland).
The session started with an introduction of the Network and the ALBA Declaration on Equity and Inclusion by Zeljka Krsnik (ALBA Board of Directors; Croatia) and Dora Reglodi (ALBA Ambassador; Hungary). The panel discussion constituted from ALBA Members who come from underrepresented groups working in Central and Eastern European Countries will discuss challenges regarding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in academia. A discussion with the audience followed the presentations.
More information on this event here.
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Middle East & North Africa
Challenges and opportunities for brain scientists in the MENA region
Friday 3 December 2021
With Arabic subtitles
The session starts with an introduction of the ALBA Network. This is followed by a panel discussion on the region-specific challenges and diversity issues faced by neuroscientists, as well as success stories and research opportunities in the region. A discussion with the audience follows the presentations. The panel comprises prominent neuroscientists from the MENA region and its diaspora.
More information on this event here.
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Africa (Sub-Saharan)
What it takes to succeed as a neuroscientist in Africa
2nd February 2022
In this webinar, ALBA & World Women in Neuroscience wish to address diversity issues across the Sub-Saharan African neuroscience community. The panel discussion will explore the challenges and biases faced by neuroscientists while establishing their careers in the region, as well as the strengths present in the region - which can be exploited to find solutions.
This webinar is organised in partnership with World Women in Neuroscience.
More information on this event here.
ALBA-IBRO global diversity webinars
Proudly supported by IBRO, these webinars leverage and build upon previous ALBA webinars of this series to assess works in progress and outstanding needs in each region, and where possible, generate a set of evidence- based recommendations for consideration by the relevant stakeholders.
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A Toolkit to succeed in neuroscience in Africa
Organised in partnership with World Women in Neuroscience (WWN) and Southern African Neuroscience Society (SANS), this webinar aims at creating a guide to the skill set needed to be a neuroscientist in the African continent. Chairs and panelists illustrate different areas of expertise as part of the “toolkit” by matching them to real-life experiences and solutions that they had to find while building their careers as scientists. Discussions are centered around four themes - career development, funding, setting up your own group, self-care.
1st March 2023
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Walk the talk: Concrete actions to promote diversity in neuroscience in Latin America
Designed to go beyond theoretical discussions and provide tangible solutions, this webinar showcases institutional initiatives fostering equity and inclusion in neuroscience research in Latin America and explores how these can serve as best practices to be applied in other contexts and countries. This is a follow up to the 2021 ALBA webinar "What are the main barriers to succeed in brain sciences in Latin America?" and the ALBA Commentary "Addressing the opportunity gap in the Latin American neuroscience community" (Silva, A., Iyer, K., Cirulli, F. et al. Nat Neurosci August 2022),
7th June 2023
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Diversity & inclusion in neuroscience in Oceania, what can we do better?
24 October 2023
Through testimonies from underrepresented communities (First Nations, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, etc.), we will discuss topics linked to diversity such as mental health, disabilities, parenthood, work-life balance, and gender equity. We will uncover insights and collaborative solutions, to foster a more inclusive environment for all neuroscientists in the region.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Unfinished business: Persistent global gender disparities in neuroscience
25 October 2023
Despite numerous initiatives championing equity in neuroscience, the gender gap continues to endure. Women and individuals with gender identities beyond cisgender men are still significantly underrepresented in leadership roles. The webinar seeks to dissect the complex factors that continue to contribute to this ongoing disparity at a global level.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Addressing global socioeconomic inequalities in neuroscience
27 October 2023
This webinar seeks to unravel the - often hidden - disparities that researchers from different parts of the world face due to their socioeconomic and socio-cultural backgrounds. Together with representatives from funders, publishers and societies, we will explore actions and programmes that can break down these barriers.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Closing the gap: Strategies for global gender equity in brain research
30 April 2024
This event will highlight concrete initiatives and programmes, primarily at the institutional level, aimed at closing the gender gap in global brain research.
While the first webinar, held in October 2023, explored the underlying causes of the enduring gender gap in brain research worldwide, this session will focus on actionable steps and programmes designed to dismantle barriers and promote gender equity. Our previous discussions concluded that the gender gap is a tangible issue, driving talented cisgender women and LGBTQIA+ people away from scientific research due to systemic obstacles. Therefore, our aim with this webinar is to showcase effective strategies for addressing these systemic challenges and ultimately closing the gap.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
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Indigenous voices in neuroscience: transforming research practices
16 September 2024
This webinar focuses on the intersection of Indigenous knowledge and neuroscience, highlighting the systemic challenges that neuroscientists from these communities navigate in academia, and the ongoing efforts to redefine what constitutes Indigenous research.
More information on this webinar can be found here.
The ALBA-IBRO global diversity webinars is organized with the support of the International Brain Research Organization, a founding partner of the ALBA Network.
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