Study on Diversity and Inclusion in Existential Risk Studies
SJ Beard and Suzy Levy
SJ Beard collaborated with Suzy Levy, an independent diversity and inclusion consultant, to design and deliver this project, made possible by SJ’s Borysiewicz Interdisciplinary Fellowship. This report summarises a survey and series of in-depth interviews by the authors with people who identified with the field of Existential Risk Studies; including researchers and operational staff working at CSER, a range of other existential risk research organisations, and related advocacy, support, and funding bodies.
Common issues amongst interviewees include that some struggle to access funding or are becoming unwilling to ask for support from certain bodies. These may mean that individuals who experience marginalisation or exclusion lose access to social and financial capital or limit the scope of their work. Interviewees felt there is a risk that this is limiting the growth and creativity of the field.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER). The aim of this work is to open a conversation about how we can ensure this emerging field can reach its full potential and have the greatest possible impact. This project provides examples of views within the research community that the Centre is part of, which are useful inputs into ongoing discussions about wellbeing, inclusion and diversity at CSER and within the wider academic community.
