Given the recent discussions on EEB Twitter and (justified) calls to #diversifyEEB, it is striking with the lack of national diversity among participants: it is essentially a discussion where all participants across all camps reside in the US, and to a lesser extent Canada 1/
Judged by my Twitter feed (which is diverse, but admittedly a limited sample), my rough estimate is that 90-95 % of those who have been very engaged the last weeks discussing EO Wilson's legacy (among other things) have North American academic affiliations 2/
This is so striking, so I ask myself: where are all the Europeans (I am one of few I have seen)? And where are the Asians, the Latin Americans and the Africans? 3/
The lack of other diversity in terms of geography is striking, and says some interesting about EEB as a field, I think.
But this diversity is seldom even acknowledged; the recent discussions are almost exclusively focussed on the lack of diversity within the US academia 4/
But this diversity is seldom even acknowledged; the recent discussions are almost exclusively focussed on the lack of diversity within the US academia 4/
I can't avoid getting the feeling that some of the problems discussed are a bit idiosynchratic and specific to the academic system in the US and connected the history of the US (slavery, segregation laws etc.), whereas the problems in (say) Europe are different (but also real) 5/
EEB is (should be!) bigger than North America and Europe though.
Personally, I am very grateful for my non-European and non-US EEB colleagues I interact with here on Twitter, whose voices are clearly needed. 6/
Personally, I am very grateful for my non-European and non-US EEB colleagues I interact with here on Twitter, whose voices are clearly needed. 6/
Shout out to my excellent Indian colleagues @joshiamitabhevo, @NGPrasadevo, @DeepaAgashe, @adubharti, @Jahnavijoshi2 @krushnamegh and many others. We need you!
EEB is not and should not be just a discipline dominated by the US and Europe, neither on Twitter or elsewhere 7/
EEB is not and should not be just a discipline dominated by the US and Europe, neither on Twitter or elsewhere 7/
India is - in my opinion - a "sleeping giant" in evolutionary biology which deserves much more space in our discussions.
India has a small (for its size) but very vibrant evolutionary biology community and are doing some cool work 8/
India has a small (for its size) but very vibrant evolutionary biology community and are doing some cool work 8/
I encourage all my EEB colleagues in North America and Europe to broaden the geographical diversity among those who you follow and interact with on Twitter so that discussions don't become entirely focused on what some might perceive as domestic US issues 9/
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