Building Resilient Communities: Place-Based Impact & Global Challenges

The Insights for Action seminar series explores how researchers and practitioners within and beyond Oxford are using research insights to drive social change. In this seminar, we will discuss how to consider both local and global engagement in our pursuit of systemic impact, the importance of place-based approaches to build resilient communities, and how insights from local engagement can help us think about global impact.

In this month's seminar, moderator Marya Besharov will be joined by:

• Alex Bettts, University Local and Global Officer, University of Oxford
• Santi Furnari, Professor of Strategy, Bayes Business School
• Dianne Regisford, Director, Evoking Belonging

Speakers:

Alex Betts is the Pro Vice-Chancellor for External Engagement, Sport, and Community at the University of Oxford and Professor of Forced Migration and International Affairs at Brasenose College. He chairs Oxford’s Sport Strategy Committee and co-founded the Oxford SDG Impact Lab and the Refugee-Led Research Hub in Nairobi. His research focuses on refugees’ access to socio-economic opportunities, with work across Africa and Europe. He has authored 13 books and around 100 scholarly publications, receiving awards from the International Studies Association, the American Political Science Association, and the ESRC. Recognised as one of Foreign Policy’s top 100 global thinkers, he is also a Young Global Leader (World Economic Forum) and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian. His TED talks have over 3 million views. A former world debating champion, he also coaches youth football and has completed all six Abbott World Marathon Majors.

Santi Furnari is Professor of Strategy at Bayes Business School and a Fellow at Stanford University's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences. He has previously held leadership roles, such as Associate Dean for Executive Education, and visiting faculty positions at institutions including the University of Cambridge. Santi studies how organisations can have social impact on local communities and society, for example by shaping the emergence of new industrial clusters, new work practices, and new social spaces (such as social impact incubators and civic spaces).bHe is particularly interested in organisation design and business models, using diverse methods like qualitative research and fuzzy-set/Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fs/QCA). Santi also serves as Senior Editor at Organization Studies, and his work has appeared in respected journals, including the Academy of Management Review. His papers have received awards, such as the AMR Best Paper Award. In addition to teaching strategy across MBA, MSc, and PhD programs, he develops executive education for organisations, focusing on collaboration, networks, and strategic design. His contributions reflect a commitment to impactful scholarship and societal betterment.

Dianne Regisford is a social justice ARTivist dedicated to connecting caring communities across Oxford. She advocates for building a resilient, equitable, and humane society, and as a community leader, she plays a key role in the Oxford Black Asian and Ethnic Minority (BAME) Infrastructure framework initiative, fostering collaboration and resilience among BAME-led organisations. A recent PhD graduate in Social Sculpture from Oxford Brookes University, she has spent eight years researching belonging and developing participatory approaches to community engagement. Her work emphasises creativity, participation, and representation for those often unheard or overlooked. Born in Oxford and having lived across Africa, she values the richness of diverse cultures and understands the challenges of isolation. She believes belonging is a social justice issue and strives to nurture inclusive communities. Her commitment reflects a vision for a politics of belonging and a better future for all.

Moderator:

Professor Marya Besharov is Professor of Organisations and Impact and Academic Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. Her research and teaching focus on leadership, social impact, and hybrid organisations. She engages with leaders and organisations worldwide to help them manage competing demands of social impact and financial performance. Marya received a BA in Social Studies, an MA in Sociology, and a PhD in Organisational Behaviour from Harvard University. She also holds an MBA from Stanford University.

Please note: the link to access the event online will be emailed to you approximately 24 hours before the event, and on the day of the event.

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