In this episode, host Elizabeth Ascroft invites four members of the Ibali team: Yusra Price, Katie Collins, Jennifer Agbaire and Alison Buckler to unpack the inner workings of the Ibali research team and how collaboration, culture, and communication shaped their three-year journey.

Together, they explore what it really means to do research as a team: balancing diverse roles, navigating cross-cultural and interdisciplinary dynamics, and learning from one another in the process. The conversation moves between the practical and the personal, touching on moments of insight, challenge, and growth.

From ethnographic practice to the subtle art of inclusive teamwork, this episode offers an honest reflection on what it takes to collaborate meaningfully — and what happens when research becomes a shared story.

Find out more about the⁠⁠ Ibali project here.⁠⁠

⁠Click here for a free online guide for storytelling ⁠

Keywords: Ibali project, ethnography, storytelling, inclusion, education, team dynamics, research culture.

Speaker Biographies

Alison Buckler is a Professor of International Education at The Open University. She has been working and researching in the area of educational inclusion for 15 years. She is a founding member of the Ibali/Story Research Network. She is Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) at The Open University, and Chair of the British Association for International and Comparative Education.

Jennifer Jomafuvwe Agbaire is a Lecturer in Education at The Open University, UK. She is the Learners and Learning Hub Lead for the OU’s CSGD and the Postgraduate Research Convenor for Global Development for Education and Wellbeing. Her interests include social identities, social justice and inclusion in/through education as well as creative and co-creative approaches. She is a core member of the Ibali/Story Research Network, Executive Secretary and Trustee of the British Association of Comparative and International Education and co-Editor of the British Educational Research Association Blog.

Dr Katherine Collins is based at the University of Oxford and specialises in Life Writing and the creative practice of story-making.

Yusra Price is an independent anthropologist, facilitator and qualitative researcher working across many interrelated practices. She holds a Master's in Anthropology from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and is currently a PhD candidate. Her doctoral research is interested in what success means to people studying or working at university and what purpose higher education plays in people’s lives, and in South Africa more broadly. In a consulting capacity, her practice centres on designing and facilitating participatory, arts-based workshops and processes that foster collaboration, strengthen strategic alignment, and embed collective learning.

Elizabeth Ascroft is a PhD candidate at The OU. She specialises in arts-based creation with young people. Research is her chosen form of activism, and she produces podcasts as a means to bring academics, practitioners and activists to discuss social justice issues.

Host Elizabeth Ascroft welcomes four members of the Ibali team: Yusra Price, Joanna Wheeler, Jennifer Agbaire, and Alison Buckler, to reflect on three years of research and the power of storytelling as a creative method.

Together, they unpack the Ibali research methodology and what they learned along the way. They reflect on their storytelling work with young people and teachers across the UK, South Africa, and Nigeria. The conversation delves into the challenges, surprises, and transformations that emerged through this process.

The team explores the art and ethics of storytelling, the importance of collaboration and context, and how stories can reshape understanding in education. They also share practical insights and advice for anyone interested in using storytelling to spark inclusion, connection, and change.

You can find out more about the Ibali project here.

Click here for a free online guide for storytelling

Speaker Bios

Alison Buckler is a Professor of International Education at The Open University. She has been working and researching in the area of educational inclusion for 15 years. She is a founding member of the Ibali/Story Research Network. She is Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) at The Open University, and Chair of the British Association for International and Comparative Education.

Jennifer Jomafuvwe Agbaire is a Lecturer in Education at The Open University, UK. She is the Learners and Learning Hub Lead for the OU’s CSGD and the Postgraduate Research Convenor for Global Development for Education and Wellbeing. Her interests include social identities, social justice and inclusion in/through education as well as creative and co-creative approaches. She is a core member of the Ibali/Story Research Network, Executive Secretary and Trustee of the British Association of Comparative and International Education and co-Editor of the British Educational Research Association Blog.

Joanna Wheeler is the founder of Transformative Story

Yusra Price is an independent anthropologist, facilitator and qualitative researcher working across many interrelated practices. She holds a Master's in Anthropology from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and is currently a PhD candidate. Her doctoral research is interested in what success means to people studying or working at university and what purpose higher education plays in people’s lives, and in South Africa more broadly. In a consulting capacity, her practice centres on designing and facilitating participatory, arts-based workshops and processes that foster collaboration, strengthen strategic alignment, and embed collective learning.

Elizabeth Ascroft is a PhD candidate at The OU and an independent research consultant. She specialises in arts-based creation with young people. Research is her chosen form of activism, and she produces podcasts as a means to bring academics, practitioners and activists to discuss social justice issues.

Keywords: Ibali, storytelling, research methodology, inclusion, education, creative methods, ethnography, collaborative storytelling, transformative story, ethical research

In this episode, we are joined by four of the young storytellers from the UK strand of the Ibali project: Evidence Anene, Siddiqah Afinowi, Tracey Gunda, and João de Almeida , alongside co-investigators Alison Buckler and Jennifer Agbaire at the Open University.

Podcast host Elizabeth Ascroft invites the team to reflect on the storytelling process. The speakers reflect on inclusion/exclusion in educational settings and discuss the role of educators and the need for young voices to be heard in shaping educational policies.

The dialogue emphasises the fluid and relational nature of inclusion and the significance of creating spaces where individuals feel welcomed and valued.

Find out more about the Ibali project here.

Speaker Biographies

Alison Buckler is a Professor of International Education at The Open University. She has been working and researching in the area of educational inclusion for 15 years. She is a founding member of the Ibali/Story Research Network. She is Director of the Centre for the Study of Global Development (CSGD) at The Open University, and Chair of the British Association for International and Comparative Education.

Jennifer Jomafuvwe Agbaire is a Lecturer in Education at The Open University, UK. She is the Learners and Learning Hub Lead for the OU’s CSGD and the Postgraduate Research Convenor for Global Development for Education and Wellbeing. Her interests include social identities, social justice and inclusion in/through education as well as creative and co-creative approaches. She is a core member of the Ibali/Story Research Network, Executive Secretary and Trustee of the British Association of Comparative and International Education and co-Editor of the British Educational Research Association Blog.

Elizabeth Ascroft is a PhD candidate at The OU. She specialises in arts-based creation with young people. Research is her chosen form of activism, and she produces podcasts as a means to bring academics, practitioners and activists to discuss social justice issues.

Evidence Anene is an undergraduate student pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nottingham, UK. His enthusiasm for storytelling was sparked in the summer of 2021 when he attended a storytelling workshop about young people’s inclusion and exclusion in schools. This experience deepened his commitment to creating compelling narratives through visual media. Beyond his academic and creative pursuits, Evidence enjoys spending time with friends and exploring new places.

Siddiqah Afinowi is a Pharmacy undergraduate at the University of Nottingham, UK, with a particular interest in Hospital Pharmacy and Clinical Trials. Her interest in diversity and inclusion was first piqued in 2021 when her secondary school created a group called Taking up Space with the aim of advocating for underrepresented groups within the school community. In order to have a more profound understanding and appreciation of inclusion, Siddiqah joined the Ibali research project on inclusion in the summer of 2021.

João de Almeida (Jay), is a curious mind drawn to the frontiers of science and discovery. With a particular fascination for chemistry and biology, he views the world through a lens of questions and possibilities, pursuing knowledge as both craft and calling. Jay joined Ibali project at the encouragement of a supportive teacher, whom he credits as a guiding presence during secondary school. Jay's journey has been defined by learning, discovery, and faith—a path that continues to shape his life with purpose and inspiration.

Tracey Gunda is an undergraduate student currently pursuing a degree in Pharmacy at the Medway School of Pharmacy, in Kent, UK. She participated int the Ibali project to explore topics of inclusion/exclusion. Because of this she was able to delve into her past and share her experiences through storytelling. Since then she has actively engaged in numerous collaborative efforts with the research team.

Based on experiences and lessons from the Southern African Rurality in Higher Education (SARiHE) project, this is the third episode of a three-part series reflecting on the potential of co-creative methodology to contribute to decolonial research approaches. Hosted by Jennifer Agbaire (Ibali researcher and Project Manager), members of the SARiHE team engage in further conversation exploring broader challenges around power – including the negotiation of funding regimes and multiple partnerships. This episode features Nathi Madondo (Academic Literacy lecturer) of Mangosuthu University of Technology and Kibbie Naidoo (Director of the Centre for Academic Staff Development in the Division for Teaching Excellence) of the University of Johannesburg in South Africa. It also features Sheila Trahar (Professor Emerita of International Higher Education), Lisa Lucas (Associate Professor in Higher Education and Co-Director of the Centre for Higher Education Transformations) and Sue Timmis (Associate Professor in Education) of the University of Bristol in the UK. The podcast series was produced by Jennifer Agbaire and Motunrayo Oladeji. For more about the SAHiRE project, visit SARiHE – Southern African Rurality in Higher Education. For other engagement activities from Ibali, visit: Knowledge Hub | Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (open.ac.uk). 

Welcome to the second of a three-episode series with Ibali researcher and Project Manager, Jennifer Agbaire, in conversation with five team members of the Southern African Rurality in Higher Education (SAHiRE) project from the UK and South Africa -  Sue Timmis (Associate Professor in Education), Sheila Trahar (Professor Emerita of International Higher Education) and  Lisa Lucas (Associate Professor in Higher Education and Co-Director of the Centre for Higher Education Transformations) of the University of Bristol as well as Kibbie Naidoo (Director of the Centre for Academic Staff Development in the Division for Teaching Excellence) of the University of Johannesburg and Nathi Madondo (Academic Literacy lecturer) of  Mangosuthu University of Technology. Leading from the first episode on the background and decolonial perspectives informing the SAHiRE project, this episode focuses on the research design of working with participants as ‘co-researchers’. The conversation highlights issues around access and power as well as the processes of navigating important ethical implications and managing data analysis in context. This podcast series was produced by Jennifer Agbaire and Motunrayo Oladeji. For more about the SAHiRE project, visit SARiHE – Southern African Rurality in Higher Education. For other engagement activities from Ibali, visit: Knowledge Hub | Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (open.ac.uk). 

Thank you for listening to Talking Story with Ibali. We are excited to bring you a series of this podcast hosted by Ibali researcher and Project Manager, Jennifer Agbaire. In this three-part series, Jennifer is joined by a dynamic team of researchers and scholars in South Africa and the UK - Kibbie Naidoo (Director of the Centre for Academic Staff Development in the Division for Teaching Excellence) of the University of Johannesburg and Nathi Madondo (Academic Literacy lecturer) of  Mangosuthu University of Technology in South Africa as well as  Sue Timmis (Associate Professor in Education), Sheila Trahar (Professor Emerita of International Higher Education) and  Lisa Lucas (Associate Professor in Higher Education and Co-Director of the Centre for Higher Education Transformations) of the University of Bristol. Throughout the series, the team shares experiences and lessons from their innovative project, titled Southern African Rurality in Higher Education (SARiHE). This introductory episode highlights the background and decolonial aims of SAHiRE. The team also introduces their interesting positioning of student participants as ‘co-researchers’ within an eclectic methodological approach involving storytelling.  You can find out more about SARiHE here:   SARiHE – Southern African Rurality in Higher Education. For other engagement activities from Ibali, visit: Knowledge Hub | Faculty of Wellbeing, Education and Language Studies (open.ac.uk).  This podcast series was produced by Jennifer Agbaire and Motunrayo Oladeji.

This is the second of a two-episode series featuring Carmen Martinez Vargas in conversation with Ibali researcher, Faith Mkwananzi.  The series was produced by Jennifer Agbaire and Motunrayo Oladeji. Carmen is a transdisciplinary scholar whose work is focused on the politics of knowledge and knowledge inequalities embedded in higher education practices, especially focusing on participatory research and the Capability Approach. Her research and writing are rooted in a lifelong ongoing conversation between Western and Southern thinkers but especially embedded in recent years within decolonial, cultural hybridity and intersectional lines of thought. In this episode, Carmen shares her thoughts on sustainability in relation to storytelling and participatory approaches. You can get in touch with Carmen by sending a message to martinezvargas.carmen@gmail.com⁠.

We bring to you a two-episode series of Talking Story with Ibali, involving a conversation between Ibali researcher, Faith Mkwananzi, and Carmen Martinez Vargas.  Carmen is a transdisciplinary scholar whose work is focused on the politics of knowledge and knowledge inequalities embedded in higher education practices, especially focusing on participatory research and the Capability Approach. Her research and writing are rooted in a lifelong ongoing conversation between Western and Southern thinkers but especially embedded in recent years within decolonial, cultural hybridity and intersectional lines of thought. In this first episode, she talks about the transdisciplinary potential of storytelling work. If you would like to continue the conversation, you can drop Carmen a message: martinezvargas.carmen@gmail.com. This series was produced by Jennifer Agbaire and Motunrayo Oladeji.