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On the first of every month, we publish a new opinion piece exploring kindness in various aspects of academia. Learn more here:
Why kindness matters.
Why kindness matters.
Kindness and excellence are two sides of the same coin. Having a working environment where everyone feels valued and can be themselves brings out the best in people. If we all propagate kindness, everyone in academia, from PhD students to full professors, can thrive and contribute to excellent scientific discoveries, teaching, leadership, and more.
There are many aspects to the job of an academic in which one can be kind. On this website we want to collect opinion pieces and research on those, accounts of kindness in academia, and offer inspiration and the possibility to contribute and endorse our views for a change to a more open and welcoming environment.
What is kindness.
What is kindness.
Kindness is the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. By being kind, we respect ourselves and others. Therefore, being kind does not mean letting others walk all over you. Setting healthy boundaries while still approaching interactions with empathy and compassion is important.
What is excellence.
What is excellence.
Excellence means being outstanding or extremely good*, a term that is so vague and yet so defining in the academic context. In academia we all strive for excellence, and this is closely related to the recent developments in Dutch academia towards Recognition and Rewards. Excellence should not merely be about being the best. We all have different talents: research, teaching, leadership, patient care, administration, and more. We believe that true excellence lies in the diversity of these contributions and the way they enrich our academic community. It is not about being a jack of all trades, but rather embracing and nurturing the varied talents that each individual brings to the table. If everyone is excellent on one aspect and good enough on the rest, and we make sure we hire a diverse team that can give priority to their respective strengths, we can cover full breadth of academic activities not just optimally, but also providing opportunity for everybody to grow, while keeping the individual workload in check.
* from Wiktionary
Why this initiative.
Why this initiative.
In the pursuit of academic excellence, the role of kindness is often overshadowed by competitive pressures and intellectual achievement. With our Kindness and Excellence in Academia Initiative, we collectively advocate and unite through the belief that an academic environment thrives when kindness and empathy are at its core.
Our mission is to cultivate a culture where these values coexist with scholarly excellence, demonstrating that the pursuit of knowledge is enhanced by an empathic and compassionate community.
Our goals
Our goals
We aim to reshape norms by advocating for practices that prioritize empathy, understanding, and respect in all academic interactions. By integrating these values into teaching, research, and administration, we can help navigate the competitive atmosphere towards one of support and encouragement.
Inspirational Stories
Our platform will feature personal narratives from academics who have experienced or witnessed kindness in their professional journeys. These stories will highlight the impact that supportive behaviors can have on academic success and personal well-being.
Resources and Recommendations
We aim to share a range of resources, including books, articles, and teaching materials that emulate the importance of kindness in academia. We encourage our community to contribute short articles about compassionate academic principles to our website, such that our platform can serve as a valuable outlet for sharing insights and experiences.
Community Building
Recognizing the importance of personal interaction in fostering a kinder academic environment, we aim to organize meetups and workshops in the future. These events will provide opportunities for academics to form connections, share ideas, and create collaborations in a supportive setting.
Our vision and values
We envision an academic world where kindness is recognized as a cornerstone of excellence. In this world, academics support each other’s growth, celebrate each other's accomplishments, and work together to overcome challenges. By fostering an environment of mutual respect and encouragement, our initiative Kindness and Excellence in Academia aims to prove that an environment marked by care and respect is not only possible but essential for true scholarly excellence. We invite all members of the academic community to join us in this mission, and to work together towards a more supportive and collaborative academic culture.
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