Way Forward

“I would like to see some really interesting local work that is very relevant to the geographies or the spaces that people are working in, really well considered around what people need on a local scale, but then I think, not to lose the global perspective. And I think that's where the challenge lies, to be able to work across the spectrum of influence, from very local to global. Then the other thing that I'd really like to see from the work is that it is actually making a difference in people's lives, on the ground, people that are most affected by specific issues. I think that's where my greatest passion lies, and seeing it benefit people in that way I think is really, really important. And then I think we’d have done a good job."

“I really want to see how this would operate in a country as complex and diverse as India. How would such centres play out in countries like ours? And I think if you're really able to break the conventional way of doing things and if you're able to do this differently, I think this can have a profound impact on the health research landscape in the country. We have just planted the seeds but I am looking forward to seeing how the plant grows and influences the larger landscape of knowledge exchange in the country.”

“I see a space which has a lot of activities going on, but not really focusing on research alone. I envision a space where even children can go and learn more about research happening within their communities because it should be a space which fosters understanding of research from a very young age. (...) For me, with time, we don't necessarily need a centre for exchange. 10 years, 20 years down the line, we should be able to say that the communities and the researchers naturally understand their roles within a research process and naturally interact without us creating such spaces.”

For me, the focus is on ‘exchange’ - a Centre for Exchange will be truly reciprocal and bring benefit to all stakeholders. All too often, I have witnessed the unequal power relationships in research and knowledge exchange, which lead to extractive practice and one-sided benefits. The Centres for Exchange - whether they are completely new initiatives, or “standing on the shoulders of giants” (in other words, building on the achievements and learning that have gone before) - have the exciting potential to be different, transformational and creative. I imagine that they will take different forms, and create a diversity of opportunities and activities dependent on where they are and who they work with - and that their impacts and benefits will be equally impressive across their differences.

My vision of a Centre for Exchange revolves around the idea of ​​establishing an authentic and collaborative connection between community knowledge and knowledge produced by the scientific community. I believe that this dynamic interaction is fundamental to generate innovative insights and solutions that address the complex challenges faced by society today. By integrating different perspectives, experiences, and forms of knowledge, Centres for Exchange have the potential to promote a deeper and more holistic understanding of problems, as well as to foster an environment of mutual learning and collective growth. This inclusive and respectful approach recognizes and values the diversity of voices and experiences, allowing everyone involved to contribute meaningfully to the creation of socially relevant and culturally sensitive solutions.

I imagine that the Centres for Exchange could be spaces that link people interested in generating knowledge for the common good, with local impact, but global influence. I think we have many inspiring examples, which reveal to us that it is possible to do science that contributes to social justice through improving people's health when they authentically get involved in projects and collaborate in various ways. My commitment is to listen to those experiences and continue learning from them. I believe that knowledge should be a common good and not the privilege of a few.

I imagine the Centre for Exchange as more like an idea than a physical place. Science should be a process connected with society’s needs. To do that in an efficient way, it’s essential to be open to values and to understand more about the different types of knowledge around, especially the traditional ones. A scientific agenda should be connected with the society in which it acts and in support of its social transformation. These centres would be like an ecosystem for sharing and building decolonial knowledge that considers society as an active agent of scientific practice and not an object of research. So, in my utopic point of view, these centres will promote and stimulate an equitable and transformative way to do science, a model to be pursued for any serious health research in future.