Borderlines: An Interdisciplinary Research Collective

Joint Directors Professor Yasmin Ibrahim and Dr Sadhvi Dar

Yasmin Ibrahim 

Professor Yasmin Ibrahim’s research explores the human and social dimensions of digital platforms. She has written extensively on digital economy and culture. Her work on digital technologies advances critical pedagogies for understanding new media technologies in terms of socio-cultural and ethical implications. Another strand of her research explores notions of ‘Othering’ through dominant themes of inequalities, migration, human displacement, border controls, Islam and terrorism. She is Visiting Professor at the MYRA School of Business at Mysore. She is the lead for Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) in SBM. Her book publications include Calais and its Border Politics: From Control to Demolition with Routledge, Production of the 'Self' in the Digital Age with Palgrave Macmillan and The Politics of Gaze; The Image Economy Online, Forthcoming with Routledge. For more details on her research and publications, https://qmul.academia.edu/yasminibrahim.

Sadhvi Dar

Sadhvi has an established presence in the postcolonial and decolonizing studies scholarly communities within the management and organization discipline. She was awarded her PhD in 2006 from the University of Cambridge. Her research draws on ethnographic and psychosocial methodologies and includes critical analyses of the international development sector, NGO management, and the intersection of race and gender in higher education. Sadhvi is dedicated to anti-racist work and embraces a decolonizing politics. She has been co-organizing anti-racist and decolonizing events and workshops at international conferences since 2005. She is also a co-founding member of the online communities: VIDA and the Decolonizing Alliance. She is Senior Fellow of Higher Education Academy and is a member of Senate at Queen Mary. Her current projects engage in community-building and collaboration among scholars of colour and university workers. Building the Anti Racist Classroom, BreakThrough!, The Decolonizing Alliance. Sadhvi also works in collaboration with Queen Mary's Drama department on a multi-stakeholder research project called The Verbatim Formula. Since 2018, Sadhvi has been involved with consultancy projects tackling anti-racist pedagogy and decolonizing initiatives with a number of UK HEIs including Kent Law School, University of Roehampton, Middlesex University, Leeds-Beckett University, Loughborough University, University of Bath, and Queen Mary University of London. Sadhvi is also involved in a number of pro-bono consultancy roles with third sector organizations. These roles include sitting on the Evaluation Working Group for a mental health charity called the Dragon Café in London (2015-present), artistic director and research lead for a network of art practitioners and third sector managers called The Evaluation Project (2014-2018).

Mayra Ruiz-Castro

Dr Mayra Ruiz-Castro’s research explores inequality within organisational and household settings through an intersectional lens, drawing on an interdisciplinary framework that spans gender studies, organisation, sociology, careers, and critical management studies. Her work explores the dynamics of work-life experiences, focusing on underexplored cultural contexts and the gendered, racialised and classed experiences of disadvantaged groups. She is also interested in questions of autoethnography and intersectional reflexivity. Dr. Ruiz-Castro’s research has been published in internationally leading journals, including Organization Studies, Work, Employment and Society, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Harvard Business Review, and Gender, Work and Organization. Her research has gained significant public attention and has been widely disseminated by international media outlets, including the BBC, CNN, and The Guardian. Committed to fostering global collaboration, Dr. Ruiz-Castro has established strong partnerships with scholars across the Global South and Global North. She is particularly interested in supporting early career researchers and academics from non-English speaking countries. Before joining Queen Mary in September 2023, Dr. Ruiz-Castro held academic jobs at the University of Roehampton and Kingston University. Her extensive international profile includes work experience in academia and the private sector in the UK, US, Germany, India and Mexico. In the US, she served as a Researcher at the Harvard Business School, a Lecturer at Babson College and a Visiting Scholar at the Center for Gender in Organizations (Simmons College). She holds a PhD degree from University College London.

Date And Time: Thursday, 11^th July 2024, 5PM – 7PM GMT

"Being a ‘Mixed-Race’ Brown Scholar of Black Writing: Learning Embodied Anti-Racism Through Scholarship and Praxis"

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Dr Leila Kamali

Event Details: Drawing from her personal experiences as a Brown person of mixed ethnicity and her research in African American and Black British literature, Dr. Kamali will explore the complexities of identity and anti-racism. Focusing on the work of African American author John Edgar Wideman and her Afghan heritage, she will examine the concept of the 'model minority' and its implications within white supremacist systems. Dr. Kamali will delve into the idea of a 'Third Space,' embracing a cosmopolitan identity while navigating contemporary challenges in confronting racism and colonial legacies. She will emphasize the importance of cultural responsibility and anti-racist allyship, highlighting the need for introspection and action in combating systemic inequalities. Through her journey, Dr. Kamali will embody a voice that honors her diverse inheritances, offering insights and guidance in promoting anti-racism. Join her in a transformative exploration of identity and solidarity in the fight against racism.

Date And Time: Thursday, 23rd May 2024, 12PM – 1.30PM GMT

"Cracking the Code: Exploring Disinformation through Social Network Analysis, Networked Individuality, and Social Contagion Theory"

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Dr Shalini R. Urs

 
Event Details: The session addressed the escalating disinformation crisis and its broad societal implications. Dr. Urs employed a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from Social Network Analysis (SNA), Network Science, and Social Contagion theory to decode the intricate mechanisms of disinformation dissemination. Key topics included the historical evolution of disinformation, the application of SNA in uncovering hidden networks, the concept of Networked Individuality, and the role of crowd psychology in spreading disinformation as a social contagion. By transcending disciplinary boundaries, Dr. Urs illuminated pathways for effective detection and mitigation strategies, highlighting the urgency of understanding and addressing disinformation in contemporary society. 

Thursday, 25th April 2024, 5PM - 7PM GMT

"Governance and the Digital Economy - A Public Talk"

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Professor Tim Jordan

Event Details: The period of neoliberalism has entrenched the market as a dominant form of governance, shaping societal interactions and economic practices. However, with the rise of the digital economy, questions arise regarding this dominance. In this talk, Professor Tim explored the possibility that alongside neoliberalism, a new form of governance based on networking has emerged, challenging traditional structures. Drawing from Foucault's concept of homo economicus, the discussion delved into how terms like biopower and governmentality intersect with neoliberalism. Tim examined practices within the digital economy, such as targeted advertising and service platforms, to explore how they perpetuate neoliberal forms while also giving rise to new modes of governance. The event concluded by examining the differences between market-based and network-based subjectivities, and their implications for creating more just societies.

Monday, 25 March 2024, 5.00 PM -7.00 PM GMT

"Critical Seminar on Female Genital Mutilation - A Public Talk"

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Dr. Aneeta Prem, MBE

Event Details: The seminar focused on the critical issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), affecting over 200 million women and girls globally. Aneeta discussed the significant impact of FGM on individuals and societies, emphasizing the essential actions required for its eradication. Drawing from her extensive experience and advocacy, Aneeta provided profound insights into the role of education, awareness, and mandatory reporting in making a difference.

Wed, 13 March 2024, 02:30PM - 04:00PM GMT

"The case of social impact creative enterprise – OITIJ-JO Collective"

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Maher Anjum

Event Details: we had the pleasure of welcoming Maher Anjum as our esteemed speaker. Maher shared insights into her remarkable journey with the OITIJ-JO Collective, an organization born in the wake of the 2012 London Olympics. During the event, Maher discussed the significant challenges addressed by the OITIJ-JO Collective, including the marginalization of communities like British Bangladeshi and the lack of visibility for creatives in sectors such as fashion and hospitality. Maher delved into the genesis of two pivotal initiatives, OITIJ-JO Design Studios and OITIJ-JO Kitchen, and explored the challenges faced by this pioneering social impact enterprise.

Mon, 26 February, 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM GMT

"Forced Marriage and Dishonor Violence - Talk"

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Dr. Aneeta Prem, MBE

Event Details: We had the privilege of hosting Aneeta Prem, the Founder of Freedom Charity, at our recent event. Aneeta delved into the complexities of dishonor violence and forced marriage, shedding light on the legal, social, and human rights aspects. She emphasized the distinction between forced and arranged marriages, offering invaluable insights into these critical issues. Aneeta's pioneering work with Freedom Charity gained national recognition in 2013 when the organization played a crucial role in uncovering an extreme case of domestic slavery, as reported by The Guardian.

Mon, 29 Jan 2024, 18:00 - 20:00 GMT

"A Woman Surgeon with the Palestinians - Public Talk"

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Dr. Ang Swee Chai

Event Details: We were honored to host Dr. Ang Swee Chai, from QMUL Centre for Trauma Sciences, at Borderlines on January 29, 2024. Dr. Ang shared her remarkable journey as a Trauma and Orthopaedics Consultant in refugee camps across Lebanon, Gaza, and the West Bank. It was a deeply inspiring event, shedding light on her extraordinary medical and humanitarian contributions.

Discussion of ‘Jugaad Time’ by Amit S Rai  - 9th October, 2019 in the South Asia Forum Discussion Group.

Dr Jenny K. Rodriguez, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester presented a Research Seminar on 4th November 2020, hosted by Dr Sadhvi Dar, Borderlines. The title of the talk was "From zero to hero: Narratives of professional identity in times of Covid-19". Also, my co-authors in this work are Gregorio Perez (University of Santiago de Chile) and Stephen Procter (Newcastle University).

In 2019, As part of the Festival of Communities, Borderlines organized the ‘Veiled Gaze’ exhibition primarily catering to the Tower Hamlet and East London Communities. The exhibition sought to track the relevance of the veil to all communities/religions in Tower Hamlets. Following from the 2018 UNPRME conference ‘Leaving No one Behind’ Hosted by SBM, in 2019 the school also hosted a South East London Regional meeting to discuss communal and environmental initiatives to specifically cater to the region.