Commitment to Inclusivity

Inclusion is not separate from scientific excellence; it is what makes excellence meaningful.
Our understanding of a successful research group is scientific excellence creating equitable opportunities for everyone to pursue scientific excellence.

Five years of BUSI group (Dec 2021- 26), and a commitment to inclusion

As our research group completes five years at IIT Guwahati, we reflect on the academic community we aspire to build.

We believe that scientific excellence and social inclusion go hand in hand. We cannot ignore the fact that access to opportunities in STEM remains unequal. Women continue to be underrepresented in many engineering disciplines, and students from socially marginalized groups continue to face barriers to participation in higher education and research.

In this context, BUSI group views inclusivity as an integral part of building a responsible research environment.

Inclusion reflected in our research

The first five years of BUSI group published 29 journal and conference papers. Our publications reflect research leadership by women and students from socially underrepresented groups.

Our group published 29 journal and conference papers in its first five years (Dec 2021-26).
19 papers led by women as first authors, representing 66% of our publications.
13 papers led by first authors from socially marginalized backgrounds, representing 45% of our publications.
Opportunities created for our students for international conferences and research exchange visits.

These numbers reflect opportunities to lead scientific work and be visible in the scientific community.

We recognize that publications alone cannot capture the full experience of inclusion, nor can they establish that structural barriers have been eliminated. Nevertheless, they provide a tangible starting point for reflecting on the research culture we want to foster.

Inclusion is a continuing journey

We recognize that a research group cannot, by itself, resolve the structural inequalities that exist across higher education and STEM. Nor do we claim to have achieved an ideal model of inclusion.

What we can do is remain attentive to the opportunities we create, the barriers our students encounter, the way we mentor and collaborate, and whose contributions receive recognition. We can continue learning from our students and colleagues, and work toward making research opportunities more equitable.

Five years mark an important milestone, but inclusion is not a milestone to be completed. It is a continuing responsibility that we carry forward in our everyday academic practice.