Why University research should involve diverse communities? | Dr Devindi Geekiyanage

About this episode

Dr. Devindi Geekiyanage discusses the importance of involving diverse communities in university research for lasting social impact.

We spoke to University of Salford lecturer Dr Devindi Geekiyanage about the power of community-centred research, and why meaningful engagement with diverse communities is essential for creating lasting social impact. Dr. Devindi Geekiyanage is a lecturer in quantity surveying at the School of Science, Engineering, and Environment. Her work focuses on community engagement, inclusion, social cohesion, and participatory research approaches. With experience spanning the UK, Sri Lanka, and international collaborations, she explores how communities, particularly those in vulnerable or marginalised contexts, can play an active role in shaping research, policy, and decision-making. In this episode, we explore: • Why research must involve people and communities, not just systems, infrastructure, or policy. • The importance of community voices in improving outcomes in vulnerable and marginalised settings. • Lessons learned from working across different countries and cultural contexts and approaches to community engagement vary globally. Host: Dr Sayema Rahman Khan, founder of SAWHE Producer: Sumaiya Motara, SAWHE Digital Communications Lead About the SAWHE network This is a grassroots…

People in this episode

Host: Dr Sayema Rahman Khan

Guest: Dr Devindi Geekiyanage

Topics covered

• community-centred research
• diverse communities
• social impact
• participatory research
• community engagement

Keywords

• community engagement
• social cohesion
• research
• policy
• marginalised communities

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Salford, SAWHE