On May 6th, 2024, Development and Cultural Diversity (DCD) was launched, a new much-needed network by and for scientists across the Netherlands who study how cultural diversity shapes the lives of children, youth, and young adults. The launch event successfully sparked the interest of numerous researchers, from PhD candidates to professors, at universities across the Netherlands, including UvA, UU, TU, EUR, and RUG, working on topics such as teacher biases towards ethnic minority youth, community-based youth organizations, ethnic minority families, identity development, and more.

Connecting Researchers 

One of DCD’s main goals is to connect and familiarize researchers working on the rapidly growing population of culturally diverse youth, as many researchers are scattered across various universities, faculties, and departments. During the first part of the DCD launch event, everyone participated in several ‘speed-date’ rounds to enable participants to share their work with each other. For some, like Zehra Çolak, Postdoctoral researcher in Education and Pedagogy at Utrecht University, these speed dates led to immediate collaborations. “I was able to meaningfully connect with colleagues doing research on youth, belonging, and inequities in education. Thanks to the connections made during the event, I am currently involved in two collaborations for a guest lecture and a grant application.” said Zehra. 

 

 

Researchers’ Needs and Desires 

As a network created by researchers and for researchers, understanding the needs and desires of DCD members is crucial. During the second part of the DCD launch, a brainstorming session was held to address researchers’ needs and desires. One of the first topics raised was the importance of collaborative grant writing. “There is a growing demand for interdisciplinary collaboration when applying for funding. However, finding the right people across faculties or even universities is not always easy”, a sentiment that one of the researchers voiced and many others in the room echoed. 

Facilitating data collection was another important theme. Many researchers collect data among the same populations. Streamlining this process could enhance efficiency and collaboration. The conversation then shifted to outreach. “How can research be better connected with the public?” This question sparked a lively discussion, highlighting the priority of finding ways to share work and engage with the general public.

 

Building Connections 

During lunch, researchers continued to discuss their work, exchange ideas, and share contact information. These conversations fostered deeper connections and collaborative possibilities. As described by Ymke de Bruijn, Assistant Professor in Youth Studies at Utrecht University, “The DCD event gave me the opportunity to connect with people whose work I have been reading about and following for years.”

Afterwards, a smaller group of attendees gathered at the Faculty Club to continue important discussions, such as researchers’ reflexivity, while working on their individual research projects. The success of this collaborative session inspired DCD to already adopt such working sessions as a future practice to facilitate members finding and inspiring each other.

A special thanks to the Dutch Society for Developmental Psychology (VNOP) and Utrecht University’s Dynamics of Youth, Becoming Adults in a Changing World for funding the event. More plans and actions that were discussed during the launch will be announced soon.