International collaboration for changing the culture of research: UN SDGs and knowledge for change consortium

Abstract

Dr. Budd L. Hall and Dr. Rajesh Tandon explore the role of international networks in advancing participatory knowledge creation for social change in higher education. They trace the evolution of participatory research from its origins in the 1970s to its institutional development today. . They describe a series of global studies produced under the Chair that document community-university research partnerships across multiple countries and connect this work to the policy debates around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, including the European Union's Responsible Research and Innovation framework. The article outlines three practical ways community-based participatory research (CBPR) can support SDG-linked knowledge, framing research locally, building community knowledge partnerships, and developing new researcher competencies. It also details the Knowledge for Change (K4C) Consortium's Mentor Training Program, which has built research capacity across the global South and the "excluded North" through hubs in eleven countries. Hall and Tandon call for a transformation of research culture toward justice, equity, and community relevance.