On the 15th May 2024, the research and scholarship cluster 'Just Cities and Societies', within the Urban Studies subject of the School of Social & Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow, held a half-day event in Govanhill aimed at building stronger connections between academia and the local Roma community in Glasgow. This initiative, centred around the theme of community engagement and just city, sought to bridge the gap between scholarly research and lived experiences as a way for collaborative knowledge production and exploring opportunities for future projects.

This event was hosted in Govanhill by Community Renewal Trust - Rom Romeha and commenced with a short networking lunch and introductory session. Further, the attendees had the chance to engage with the 'Stories of the Roma', a session where community members shared their personal narratives on what it means to be a Roma in their home countries and being a Roma migrant in Glasgow. Academic colleagues also had the opportunity to ask questions about different aspects, such as traditions, access to different services and other challenges faced by the community in Glasgow / Govanhill.

Following this, participants were introduced to a short festive moment featuring traditional Roma music. This added a celebratory tone to the event, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of the Roma people. The day concluded with a guided tour of Govanhill at 16:00, allowing attendees to witness first-hand both the colloquial area's vibrant community life and its drawbacks, such as the effects of gentrification.

This initiative highlights the importance of direct engagement and partnership with local communities in addressing urban deprivation, stigma, and gentrification. By connecting academic perspectives with real-world experiences, the 'Just Cities and Societies' cluster's long term aims are to create more opportunities for meaningful engagement within the community, as well as making impacts on urban research and policy.

The event was coordinated by Dr Ionut Cioarta and Dr Craig Gurney

Co-leaders Research and Scholarship Cluster 'Just Cities and Societies'

First published: 30 May 2024

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