Action 2 – Experience

Gain applicable skills in research through combined teaching-research-courses

About

Research methodological skills are often abstract, and many scholars find it challenging to put them into action for their research topic.

In disciplines such as sociology, geography, urban planning and architecture, the specific challenge of learning how to put methods into practice is often tackled by designing and conducting combined teaching-research-courses. The courses taught usually include methodological training on particular research methods, data analysis training and writing skills.

The final results of the teaching research courses are often published as textbooks or as a handbook that can be used as a resource for future teaching or online lectures.

Under SMUS Action 2, the center will put out an open call to the SMUS network to host a 2022/2023 combined teaching-research course. The courses will be taught in tandem by university teachers from two SMUS partner universities looking at a particular theme or topic under SDG#11. Staff will be invited to further their teaching and research skills in specific local contexts by working with one another and their respective students to co-design a small research project and develop a teaching programme to address their research question.

The center strongly encourages university teaching staff from countries in the Global South to collaborate with other colleagues in the South. By doing so, the network members can contribute positively towards contextualising and decolonising social science methodology.