Inclusivity and Values

As stated in the homepage, the Adjoint School is an annual research school in applied category theory that aims to:

• foster an open-hearted and open-minded environment where new applied category theorists develop the skills of research,
• welcome new researchers into cutting-edge research programs in applied category theory, and
• grow and strengthen the applied category theory community.

As research has shown again and again that unconscious biases, hostile work environments, and systemic issues make these goals significantly harder to achieve for certain groups, independent of their actual research capabilities, the Adjoint School strives to take steps to actively counteract them. Be it racialized people, women and gender minorities, researchers with disabilities (either visible or invisible), people from the Global South, religious minorities, students from working class backgrounds, or any other discriminated group, everyone deserves an equal chance, and it is our goal to change the community to make it so. As such, we recognize explicitly the importance of developing and strengthening our community and the positive impact it can (and should) have within applied mathematics and the world at large.

We also believe it is worthwhile to try and articulate these values, to call attention to the difficulties that can arise when putting them into practice, and the importance of leading by example. Among other things, that means:

• The information about whether a candidate is from an underrepresented group will be taken into account during the selection process. We do not assign a precise value to it: First, we want to ensure that we are selecting motivated and suitable students for the projects. This extra information help us to analyze if we are providing equal chances for underrepresented groups. In case of doubt, students from underrepresented backgrounds will be preferred.
• The organisers are aware that such information can be really delicate, and that in the wrong hands it can seriously influence a candidate’s long-term career. As such, we engage ourselves to keep it strictly confidential.
• As the applied category theory community is global, it is hard, if not impossible, to find a unique definition of what counts as a minority, and the organisers have their own biases stemming from their own experiences. As such, we have decided to leave the question on the application form open-ended, in order to give the students the opportunity to explain. This is also a learning experience for us.
• In order to minimize the effects of unequal access to funding, we are applying for grants to fund needful students to attend the in-person research week.
• In both components of the school, we will be alert to any kind of discriminatory behaviour and we will take action if we see it.
• If you see or experience something that you feel deserves an intervention, please contact us and we will do our best to adress it. For suggestions or comments or how we can do this better, please contact us.