I had the valuable and formative opportunity to be a PhD placement researcher with the think-tank British Future. The aims of my time with British Future were to explore both qualitative and quantitative research on race equity and social cohesion. My aim also included developing my working experience through research engagement with race, immigration and political attitudes to multiculturalism in the current political climate in the UK, as well as strengthening my ability to engage critically with policy relevant research outputs. I was also tasked with assisting in activities to support the organisation’s online presence and monitor engagements via email.
At British Future, I was given the opportunity to sit in on stakeholder meetings for the Newham Commission, which provided insight into how research informs local governance and policy discussions. In my first week, I was tasked with using Qualtrics to review the data from the survey for the Newham project. I assessed the data and summarised the key findings, with a focus on highlighting key demographic trends on questions relating to community perceptions of the relationship between members of the community and the police, different racial groups and cultural belonging, ensuring that the findings were accessible and relevant for policy stakeholders. I have been credited in the just published Newham Commission report.
My time with British Future enriched my understanding of the level of research being undertaken to analyse social and institutional attitudes to immigration across the country, particularly in relation to regional variation and political context. I was able to engage formally and through collegiate conversations with members of staff, and I was extremely grateful to develop my working knowledge of policy and how to engage effectively in bridging academic writing with policy outputs, namely through the guidance of Dr Barbara Adewumi, whose work provided valuable insight into the practical application of research in policy settings. My line manager, Jake Puddle, Director of Research, provided significant support and encouraged me to engage with projects across the organisation, allowing me to contribute beyond my initial responsibilities.
I was given an incredible opportunity to assist in facilitating a workshop in Wales concerning community attitudes to immigration and the impacts that this may have on the upcoming election, where I observed first-hand how public opinion is shaped and articulated in different regional contexts. This was a particular highlight of my experience with British Future, as the facilitation of the workshops undertaken provided particularly honest and politically rich discussions about the state of race relations and immigration in the region.
Much of the conversations that emerged from the workshop enhanced my working knowledge of the issues that migrants face as well as how to best facilitate cohesion in local communities, particularly through inclusive dialogue and community-led engagement. As my doctoral research focuses on the concepts of race, affirmative action and the questions of substantive equality in Brazil, my time with British Future allowed me to further develop my practical engagement with issues of race and integration in UK.
Finally, I was given the opportunity to contribute to preliminary research by reviewing the racial demographics of areas in the UK for the British Future/Nuffield Trust project on cohesion. This further strengthened my qualitive research and analytical skills. In short, British Future is a think tank that is working at the centre of the issues facing what it means to live in a multicultural nation. It was an honour to contribute to the work underway by this important and impactful organisation, and the experience has had a lasting influence on my academic and professional development.
