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Information about People and Culture activities and resources in the School of Informatics
Diving headfirst into the world of self-development has been a game-changer, not just for my  personal life, but for how I approach my research and connect with others. This year, I challenged myself to read 52 booksâa daunting task, I admit! But the first ten, including Mindset,  Atomic Habits, and The Four Agreements, have already delivered profound shifts in my perspective.
As someone with undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia, I’ve often felt I had to work twice as hard to keep up. But these books have shown me that my perceived ‘disadvantages’ can be turned to my advantage. For example, Atomic Habits taught me how to break down complex tasks into tiny, manageable steps, a strategy that’s been invaluable for tackling research proposals and projects. It’s about leveraging my strengths â like my ability to think outside the box â and creating systems that work for my unique brain.
One of the most powerful lessons has been about mindset. Mindset and The Magic of Thinking Big have helped me shift from a fixed mindset, where I saw challenges as roadblocks, to a growth mindset, where I now see them as opportunities to learn and grow. In research, where proposals and projects regularly don’t go as planned, this shift has been transformative. I’ve learned to embrace ‘failures’ as data points, not setbacks.
The Four Agreements and The Fifth Agreement have been particularly impactful in my interactions with others. As someone who loves to build community, these books have reminded me of the importance of clear communication, integrity, and avoiding assumptions. In academia, where collaboration is key, these principles have strengthened my relationships and fostered a more positive environment.
You are a F*cking Success, and The Let Them Theory have resonated with my passion for empowering others. They’ve reinforced the importance of taking ownership of my career and advocating for my research. As someone who loves to give value to others, I’ve realised that I also need to value my own contributions and not be afraid to pursue my goals.
And as someone whoâs passionate about healthy living and active ageing, Feel Good Productivity and Attitude is Everything have reminded me that well-being is non-negotiable. Research can be demanding, but prioritising my mental and physical health has actually boosted my creativity and productivity.
These books aren’t just theoretical; they’re practical tools for navigating the complexities of academia and life. Whatever your role in our school, I encourage you to invest in your self-development. It’s a journey that will not only enhance your professional performance but also enrich your personal life. And who knows, you might just find your own advantages along the way!
There I was, scrolling through LinkedIn, when a post stopped me in my tracks: âHave you ever been commsplained?â It was a moment of instant recognition. âCommsplainingâ is real, and while subtle, it is a more common example of workplace dynamic than you might think.
We explain to everyone, all the time
Indeed, many a time, a colleague, who is not a comms professional, has tried to explain communications (or something about communications) to me. However, unlike the infamous notion of âmansplainingâ derived from the influential essay by Rebecca Solnit, the person wouldnât necessarily be condescending. And time and again, colleagues make confident statements about comms-related issues to me, while being wrong. Or sometimes, very wrong.
We probably all do it with no malice and feel embarrassed when itâs pointed out that we are talking to an expert, or that we are wrong and why (again, different from the case of âmansplaining,â which includes the âmansplainerâ not being embarrassed).
Number 10 Downing Street Photo by: Sergeant Tom Robinson under the Open Government Licence version 1.0 (OGL v1.0).RLC/MOD
After all, most of us think we know, for example, what the government should be doing, what policies it should pursue, and in what timelines, even though hardly any of us have experience governing.
Itâs the opposite of impostor syndrome: a cognitive bias that makes us believe we know more than we do, and since we donât know what we donât know â well, we are blissfully ignorant!
Lift them up, donât bring them down
However, the problem with preaching to the experts is how it makes them feel – I certainly get irritated when it happens to me. Itâs also not always obvious how to tactfully make the âcommsplainerâ aware that what they are sharing is not news to me: on the contrary, I have already tried and tested the exact same idea. Most people who approach me in a professional context know that I work in comms. Still, they are ignorant of the fact that I must have knowledge about it, resulting from education, qualifications, and some 20 years of experience.
But it gets worse: when we tell people what they already know, positioning ourselves as experts, we might inadvertently make them doubt themselves or even underestimate their own expertise. Especially, if they perceive us as being in a position of power. In this case, it is no different to âmansplaining,â or simply patronising anyone, who we have power over (even if perceived only).
Do we want our expert colleagues to feel they lack expertise? Or do we want to empower them to be even better at what they do?
Patience is everything
I chatted with a couple of academic colleagues about situations when I wouldnât be given credit for my knowledge and expertise and instead be lectured, and they pointed out the obvious: âThatâs probably because we are lecturers! So, it sounds like we are lecturing, but we do not mean to.â
It gave me something to consider. Most people donât mean to be mean; they might just be wearing their âlecturerâs hat.â
The author of the meme I started my post with suggests that the best strategy to deal with âcommsplainingâ is not to take it personally. Be respectful and kind and take the âlecturingâ in good spirits.
Last summer the InfComms team hosted a summer intern, a lovely and inquisitive Aagoon, who asked me: âWhat is the most important skill in comms?â Without a second thought, I said âpatience.â
A lot of work in communications is done in the background, in the solitude of oneâs office. The outcome (a story, a social media post, a newsletter, a paragraph in someone elseâs comms, a website, a microsite, an ad, or a blog) can seem easy to create. But there is a lot of work behind the scenes to do research, ask questions, proofread, refine, re-write whole passages to ensure the message is accurate and appropriate, and so on. It can sometimes take weeks to develop one output. If the outcome seems âeasyâ and not laboured then your comms colleagues have done their job right. But it might have required a lot of effort and knowledge. Just because you canât see the work put into achieving something, it doesnât mean someone didnât work extremely hard for things to happen.
Itâs a bit like seeing your GP, who takes one look at your results and diagnoses you. Easy! But it took years of study and experience to be able to do that.
Be like Lieutenant Columbo
Peter Falk as Lt Columbo, public domain
For a comms professional, patience isn’t just a virtue; it’s a necessity. You need to do, what I call âbeing Columboâ (referring to the persistent and thorough detective portrayed by Peter Falk in the classic TV series): keep asking questions, until you are absolutely certain that you have all the knowledge you need to write your story accurately, and that youâre observing embargoes, not stepping on anyoneâs toes, and not dumbing down the story.
But you also need a lot of patience to deal with outside pressures: deadlines, expectations, and yes, you guessed it, âcommsplainers.â
We all communicate every day, so itâs easy to assume that we all have a level of expertise in comms. It may result in putting undue pressure on or having an unreasonable expectation of our colleagues working in comms roles.
However, when youâre at the receiving end of such pressures, you need a lot of patience to listen and explain what is and isnât possible, and more importantly, what is and isnât good practice. But, on the other hand, if someone takes the time to come to you with their ideas, even if they sound like lecturing, consider listening and harnessing their enthusiasm. Use the opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise to manage their expectations and teach them something new.
If you find yourself advising the expert, take a moment to reflect: are you offering new insight, or might you be âcommsplainingâ? Perhaps start with giving some kudos to your comms colleague for their effort and expertise before sharing your ideas. Make them feel like the expert that they are and listen to their words of wisdom. After all, they have been doing it for a little while longer than you. Appreciating them will take you a long way and maybe will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Collectively, we can shift our workplace dynamics toward mutual respect and understanding.
Disclaimer 1: Sometimes people will just be patronising and malicious. Donât dwell on them.
Disclaimer 2: I asked ELM to proofread the final copy of this blog (and used some of its proposed improvements)
About the author: Kasia Kokowska is the Marketing, Communications and Outreach Manager at the School of Informatics, at the University of Edinburgh. She has an MA in Journalism and Social Communications and an MSc in science Communications and Public Engagement. She’s a member of STEMPRA and CIPR.
Related content
If you haven’t, you should also read two great blogs about the impostor syndrome, written by Andrea and Eillidh:
As a woman studying in the University of Edinburghâs School of Informatics, Iâve often felt like the odd one out. Informatics, and especially computer science, is still a field largely dominated by men, and this can sometimes feel isolating. There have been times when Iâve felt that my voice wasnât heard as much, or that my opinions werenât as valued by my male peers. Itâs not always easy to speak up in a space with so few women, and there are moments when Iâve questioned whether I belong.
However, some things that have helped me navigate these challenges are getting involved in the Makerspace and becoming an ambassador for Scottish Women in Informatics. Over the summer, I had the opportunity to complete an Edinburgh Award in the Makerspace, where I was able to get hands-on experience with various technologies and projects. The Makerspace is an incredible environment for creativity and learning. Itâs a place where students can get involved with exciting projects, such as 3D printing, laser cutting, and robotics. These can be projects that students are working on as part of their degree, or simply a personal project they are passionate about.
Students can drop by the Makerspace on level 3 of Appleton Tower, at any time to see whatâs going on, get involved, or even just chat with the friendly team. The Makerspace team is always enthusiastic about new projects and loves helping students develop their skills. Itâs also a great space to explore opportunities like the Edinburgh Award, which makes a great addition to the CV. During my time in the Makerspace, I worked on various projects, including learning to use the new 3D Bambu printers that print in multiple colours. I was given the creative freedom to choose what I wanted to print while learning how to operate the printers, and among other things, I chose to print a log cabin and a highland cow. (Photos of these are included below!) Getting involved with the Makerspace has allowed me to meet and collaborate with people from different backgrounds, including other women in the field. This experience has helped me build confidence in my technical skills and has given me a greater sense of belonging within the Informatics community.
Being an ambassador for Scottish Women in Informatics has also been an empowering experience. As an ambassador, I get to engage with prospective students and help create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for women who are interested in studying in the School of Informatics at the University. Itâs inspiring to see how many women are passionate about technology and eager to get involved in this field. Iâve also learned the importance of supporting and encouraging each other, especially in a space where women are still underrepresented.
Through these experiences, Iâve learned the value of respecting and being confident in my own opinions. Itâs easy to second-guess yourself in a male-dominated space, but Iâve come to realise that my perspective is just as valuable as anyone elseâs. Iâve also learned that there is strength in numbers, and getting involved in societies and embracing opportunities like those from engaging with the Makerspace can help you find your voice and connect with others who share your passions and challenges.
I want to encourage other women in Informatics, or those considering the field, to get involved in spaces like the Makerspace or consider becoming an ambassador to meet like-minded people and grow confidence. For those interested, you can find the Makerspace on level 3 of Appleton Tower or visit the Makerspace SharePoint to access a range of resources and contact information. Additionally, becoming an ambassador offers a great opportunity to build connections and develop your leadership skills. Itâs important to build support networks and remember that you belong here just as much as anyone else. While the journey may sometimes feel isolating, there are communities and opportunities that can help you grow and thrive. The key is to respect your voice, trust in your abilities, and connect with others who share similar experiences.
One of the Bambu mini printers in action, printing with 4 colours.
We had our first P&C meeting of the new academic year on the 1st of October. Based on the feedback received from our Athena Swan Culture Survey, it was clear that there is a need of an events calendar to show various social events.
The School is working on alternative options to have a more central event management system. However, for this academic year, we will keep updating a shared calendar that you could simply subscribe by your favorite email client. It is important that you subscribe to this calendar online (don’t import since this would not be the most up-to-date version!). I will describe the steps below to subscribe to this calendar on Office 365 (Web client of Outlook).
Alternative way to access the Web view: Click on the “Upcoming Events” button on the right pane, this will redirect you to the same webpage as given above.
Copy the .ics link, and paste it in the space provided.
Provide a name for this calendar (such as ‘P&C Events’), pick your favorite color and charm, and click on ‘Import’.
‘P&C Events’ should be added to the ‘Other calendars’ section on the left pane.
Make sure that the calendar is selected so that you could see the entries from this calendar on your Calendar view.
Check if the setup is correct
If you did these steps correctly, you should be able to see P&C Events that we will add to this shared calendar. If you did the setup correctly, you should see an ‘example P&C event’ on the 24th of October, 11am-noon.
Some areas of our ways of working can be improved. AdvanceHE recently carried out a consultation, leading to the report “Understanding Ways of Working“. It is freely available for you to read, and AdvanceHE will present it at the October School General Meeting. The report gives a clear overview of where we can improve as a School (as well as data to support changes at the University level). Thank you all for your input!
The next step is, clearly, to actually make things better. The report has some recommendations, and the School already had several other ideas. They are summarised on this padlet. Have a look. Do you feel these actions would be useful? Would you change or add any? Please add your take, so we end up with an concrete action plan that improves, nay perfects, our ways of working together!
The Royal Society has led the way on research culture in recent years, establishing  the following definition, which is now widely adopted:
Research culture encompasses behaviours, values, expectations, attitudes and norms of our research communities. It influences researchersâ career paths and determines the way that research is conducted and communicated.
You can find out more about the Society’s activities in this area. Recently they produced a video illustrating what research culture is and why it is important:
The University of Edinburgh published its own Research Culture Action Plan, and supporting Delivery Plan in 2023.
Both within the University and more widely much of the focus of research culture development is on early career researchers. In contrast, there has been less attention paid to those towards the end of their career and the role that they can play in creating a vibrant and inclusive research environment. In 2022 Professor Veronica van Heyningen, who has held leadership positions at UCL and the University of Edinburgh, led a Royal Society project on Changing Working Lives, which particularly looked at the roles and opportunities for researchers at different career stages. The project took into consideration general changes in the research environment and the impact of the pandemic on working practices.
We are all aware of demographic changes that are taking place in society, with rising numbers of older people and a falling birth rate. This project sought to understand the implications of these changes within academia, and in particular, on research culture. A key outcome of the project was the need for explicit consideration of  the responsibilities of older researchers and intergenerational fairness.
In the last decades there have been several changes that have led to longer active careers for older researchers such as the fact that there is now no fixed retirement age in most universities, flexible and part-time working has become more accepted and readily available for all, and the benefits of people staying healthy and active for longer are widely recognised. In the academic setting the continued participation of  experienced researchers has considerable benefits for the scientific community and our shared endeavours.
Nevertheless, sensitivity and awareness are needed to ensure that this âolderâ generation is supporting and generating opportunities for the âyoungerâ generation, rather than becoming a block on their careers. This is particularly true when, as now, universities are working under situations of limited resource. Funding, PhD students, working space and positions of responsibility are all vital for early and mid-career researchers to establish themselves, but they may not have the credentials to compete directly with late career researchers.
The Royal Society Changing Working Lives project highlighted these issues and suggested that intergenerational fairness called for action from different stakeholders in research. Researchers themselves should consider how best to advance science. Particularly for those later in their career, this wider consideration should start to take precedence over advancing their own career. Funders should consider selection processes and the role of track record in funding decisions. Universities should consider special support systems and resources for mid-career researchers to enable them to step up to the demands of senior leadership roles, then creating opportunities for early career researchers too.
Diverse teams have been shown to be more effective and creative in many circumstances, and diversity should include consideration of age and experience. But it should not become the default that the most senior member of the team should be the leader. These team members are likely to bring invaluable skills and experience, but in the long term these skills may be best used to focus on technical aspects of the problem whilst mentoring and supporting a less experienced colleague in the position of leader. It is essential that we maintain a flow of talent and provide sufficient resource for those in their early and mid-career for that talent to grow and flourish.
I would like to take this opportunity to advertise the fantastic ED&I reading group that regularly meets in the Informatics Forum.Â
This reading group usually discusses a research paper on a topic related to equality, diversity and inclusion. Everyone in Informatics – and beyond – is invited to attend. To give you an idea of the sort of research the reading group discusses, the first paper was âEveryone has an accentâ by Nina Markl and Catherine Lai. The first author joined us to present key points of her work and we discussed it directly with her. The paper was published at Interspeech 2023, and it points at a gap between how accents and accented speech are thought of in the linguistics literature and how speech technology research talks about them.Â
In everyday language, we might say that someone âhas an accentâ, which makes it sound like some people donât have an accent. The speech technology literature seems to have embraced this idea. For example, there are studies that try to detect from a voice recording how âaccentedâ someoneâs speech is, and try to measure it on a scale. There have been suggestions that this technology could be used to decide whether a customer service employee is right for the job or whether they might require additional training. The linguistics literature, however, is clear: Everyone â from someone who has just started to learn English to the King â has an accent. The difference is that they have different accents, so they pronounce things differently.Â
Why does this distinction matter? One reason it matters is that perceptions of accents depend on the listener: an American may find that a Hollywood actor âdoesnât have much of an accentâ but of course a Scottish person would disagree if the actor sounds American. Therefore it does not make much sense to say that one person has more of an accent than someone else, objectively. Where things do start to have an impact is when you are having difficulty understanding someoneâs speech. Therefore, a more useful concept than accentedness is intelligibility. That is still not something we can measure in a single number (intelligible to whom?) but we can measure whether someoneâs speech is intelligible to a specific group of people or to a specific voice recognition system.Â
To me, this research shows what happens when we take everyday notions and shorthands, like âhaving an accentâ and incorporate them into our research without reflecting on the hidden biases that they are based on. In this case, could stereotypes about English learners and about class be playing a role when researchers equate the poorly defined idea of âaccentednessâ and intelligibility? Itâs perfectly possible for someone to be easy to understand while they also have an accent that clearly shows where they grew up. Decisions about who gets a job or not, or who receives additional training, should not be based on research that uses flawed, outdated concepts.Â
For me, the goal of discussing such issues in a group isnât to point fingers, itâs to critically reflect on our own stereotypes, and how they may be influencing our research, so that we can become better researchers.Â
The ED&I reading group usually meets once a month on a Tuesday at 1pm, in G.03. There is a mailing list (inf-edi-reading-group@mlist.is.ed.ac.uk), please find sign-up instructions here. For those who come, thereâs pizza!Â
Research in AI is an increasingly exciting and fast-paced environment, with many new interesting features and applications available at a wider scale. However, it is also the topic of heavy criticism for often failing to represent and serve minority groups, which have historically been underrepresented in conversations about technology. Being PhD students in the CDT in NLP, we think it is extremely important to keep up with issues regarding equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I), both to improve our own work but also to be critical about new advancements in the field. Â
Because of that, we are currently hosting a reading group in ED&I once a month, open to all postgraduate students and staff from the School of Informatics. Â
Anyone involved can choose a paper which they think is of interest, no matter whether it is their own work or not. Although attendees are encouraged to read the paper beforehand, this is not a requirement as we start with a ~15 min presentation. Afterwards, an informal group discussion follows, which allows everyone to comfortably express their ideas and ask questions. For the past few months, the sessions have had a very friendly atmosphere and we have learned a lot from each other about how to be more mindful researchers. Â
Through the ED&I reading group, weâre hoping to raise some awareness on how issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion can impact current AI research, but also how AI research can have consequences in areas which have a direct or indirect impact on society. We also aim to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment where researchers can share and discuss their ideas on how AI research is impacting our society. We hope that attendees leave with thoughts on how their choices as a researcher can make a difference for people who have often been left out of the conversation about AI and how their choices can change that. Â
From the past few sessions, we have learned a lot from all the people who have presented and whom we have shared a discussion with! Our past sessions have covered:Â
Everyone has an accent by Nina Markl and Catherine Lai: a review on how âaccentâ and âaccentedâ terminology is currently being used in speech research, inviting to be more mindful about terminologies being used.Â
With AI being an exciting and constantly evolving area of research, we believe that issues of equality, diversity and inclusion are more important than ever for researchers to be aware of, even if their own topic of research is not directly linked to them. Â
If you are a researcher at the School of Informatics, we hope youâll join us the last Tuesday of every month from 1-2pm for engaging presentations and fruitful discussions. Letâs all learn from each other! We usually meet in G.03, with the exception of 30th April, where we will meet in IF 1.15.Â
Our School works best when everybody is heard, and nobody is left behind. We are always eager to find out how to improve our community, with regular official feedback opportunities. In the last two years the School Culture survey, Athena Swan focus groups, and the Universityâs Staff Engagement survey have been implemented. These have revealed some common issues that we should improve; and although some we can only raise to College or University, there is a great deal that we as a School can act upon.
Findings to date may indicate that we need to listen and respond further to the needs of our staff. Weâre keen to hear voices from across the whole School, especially including those who may not have contributed their views yet.
Therefore, the School is contracting an external body, Advance HE, to do three things:
Analyse all available data to understand what workplace issues are happening;
Facilitate an independent consultation of our School community to understand why these issues are challenging;
Develop independent recommendations about improving staff and student experiences.
Practically, over the next couple of months, Advance HE will be conducting 8 focus groups â 2 for professional services staff, 2 for academic staff, 2 for research staff, and 2 for research students â as well as in-depth interviews with key senior staff members. All work is completely independent from the School leadership, with robust and proper privacy and ethics considerations in place.
Our School has kindly invested in this work to improve our culture. When you are invited to join a focus group, please grab the chance, even if â especially if â you typically donât respond to surveys. It is a great opportunity to improve our effectiveness to work together as a productive and happy community. Letâs seize it!
My imposter system is triggered by being praised. Or NOT being praised. Or being asked to do a thing. Or deciding on a new project. Or someone mentioning something I’ve achieved. Or being thanked, or shouted at, or ignored.  Or (and this is my favourite) someone else sharing their experience of imposter syndrome. Because if they do then I listen and think ‘my imposter syndrome isn’t good enough’. I get imposter syndrome about whether or not I experience imposter syndrome.
I find the term massively unhelpful. To me, an imposter is a person posing as someone else to commit some kind of fraud. A syndrome is medical, there’s probably some kind of quarantine and medicine involved, and there’s definitely people in white coats with clipboards. If I don’t tick enough boxes, I don’t have imposter syndrome, so I’m not allowed to talk about imposter syndrome.
The reality is though, imposter syndrome for me is anxiety with a different coat on. It’s anxiety that I’m not good enough, that I don’t know enough, that I don’t deserve this, they’re better than me because I’m rubbish. Looking at it that way, it makes it a lot easier for me to understand. It explains why some people never experience it, why for some people it’s there in flashes, and for someone like me it’s a constant – I’m an anxious person, so of course I feel like an imposter.
It also makes it easier to understand how it can thrive in an environment like Informatics. This is a busy, high pressured environment where researchers are spending other people’s money to essentially try and improve the world a bit, which is pretty high stakes and anxiety-inducing. Us professional services staff (PSS) are trying to support that, but we also have to make sure the boxes are ticked, the forms are filled in, etc, and that can lead to us and researchers/academics clashing and acting in ways that can trigger imposter syndrome/anxiety in others.
The good news is, recognising imposter syndrome and anxiety and knowing that our work environment is a perfect breeding ground for it, also makes it easier to understand how I (and anyone else who sometimes feels like an imposter) can manage it.
I can be kind to myself, and remember that my anxiety lies to me. That person ignoring me doesn’t think I’m an idiot, they’re just busy and don’t understand the importance of the thing I’m asking them to do. Which is fair enough. When someone thanks me for something I’ve done that’s not proof that I am a brilliant liar and actor and have managed to fool everyone in to thinking I’m doing a good job (this is a thought I have a lot). It’s that I did a good job, and that person thanked me, which is really nice actually.
And of course, what we can all do for each other is be mindful of the effort we are all putting in in the school at every level. None of us can do what we do without everyone else doing what they do, academic/research or PSS. Recognising that more, being grateful and expressing that regularly, will help anyone who ever hears the voice claiming we’re not good enough. We are, and it’s nice to hear that sometimes.
with my passion for empowering others. They’ve reinforced the importance of taking ownership of my career and advocating for my research. As someone who loves to give value to others, I’ve realised that I also need to value my own contributions and not be afraid to pursue my goals.
