Co-Producing Knowledge: Approaches, Ethics and Reflexive Practices

18 mars 2026

Caroline Rusterholz

Pre Caroline Rusterholz, UNIFR & IHEID

Pre Caroline Rusterholz, UNIFR & IHEID;

Mme Naomi Samake-Bäckert, University of Cambridge & IHEID;

Dre Sara Petrella, UNIFR;

Dr George Severs, IHEID

This one-day workshop offers a reflective and practical space to explore co-production as a research methodology, with a particular focus on building meaningful partnerships between researchers and charitable or community-based organisations. Through sessions, in-depth discussion and practical exercices, the workshop will support graduate students in gender studies or related disciplines to understand what co-production means, how to approach and sustain it, what are its benefits, challenges, and best practices. In an academic context, co-production refers to the collaborative generation of knowledge between researchers and external partners, such as charities, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community groups or organisations. Unlike traditional research models where academia drives the research agenda and at times 'extracts' the data, co-production is rooted in mutual respect, shared authority, and equitable participation throughout the research process. From framing research questions to collecting data and disseminating findings, co-production centres the voices, experiences, and needs of all stakeholders. This workshop will familiarise participants with the meaning of co-production and the key elements to ensure that collaborations and co-production are not only effective but also respectful and ju

Programme

9.00-10.30 Session 1: Co-Producing an Exhibition

Led by Naomi Samake-Bäckert

This opening session offers a grounded and practical reflection on co-production through the lens of curating a public exhibition. Naomi Samake Backert will share insights from the collaborative process behind the Reproductive Justice Initiative's Black History Month exhibition at the Vagina Museum in London. Drawing on the principles of co-production, this session explores how researchers and activists worked together to honour reproductive justice histories. Naomi and participants will reflect on how exhibitions can serve as powerful co-produced outputs, and what it means to share curatorial and narrative authority with community partners.

Coffee break 10.30-11.00

11.00-12.30 Session 2: Directing a collective volume

Led by Sara Petrella

Sara Petrella, an art historian, will reflect on the co-production of knowledge in the form of an abecedary. She will share her experience of directing a collective volume that offers various 'voices' to deepen the question of (non-Western) arts and (Western) museums today. This collective volume proposes methods for developing the co-production of knowledge through collaborations with people outside of institutions: Indigenous experts/elders, artists and curators, and individuals from source communities.

12.30- 14.00 Lunch

14.00-15.30 Session 3: Ethics, Ownership, and Accountability in Co-Production

Led by George Severs

The final session discusses the ethical dimensions of co-production. Topics will include data ownership, attribution, coauthorship, and navigating institutional pressures. The discussion will reflect on the responsibilities that come with sharedauthority and the long-term commitments required to sustain trust and reciprocity. Participants will be encouraged to consider how co-production can challenge extractive research practices and foster accountability in both academic and non-academic settings.

15.30-16.00 Coffee break

16.00-17.00 Final session and discussion intervenant

Université de Genève, Uni Dufour, U363

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