HQP travels: TMLR goes to Michigan

Is it just us, or is 2023 passing by quickly?
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What seems like last month, was actually in November 2022: Five of our HQPs travelled to Lansing, Michigan for a collaborative workshop between the HQP Traditional Management as Levers of Resilience (TMLR) working group and the Resilience Alliance Young Scholars (RAYS) at Michigan State University. The purpose of this conference was for TMLR to start laying the groundwork for their paper. Four of our HQPs shared a bit about their experience as part of the HQP mobility fund program!  
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What is TMLR? 
The TMLR working group is an HQP subgroup that bloomed out of a workshop at last year's AGM. They are currently working on a paper that will explore how resilience scholarship can be expanded to better reflect – and attend to – a diversity of worldviews and knowledge systems. As second step, they hope to lay out some potential directions that can, more competently, include non-western worldviews and knowledge systems. 

TMLR and RAYS members debriefing on their successful workshop at Michigan State University.

What ResNet HQPs had to say
​Hannah Kobluk: [The workshop was] a great way to get together with other students and talk about and brainstorm on topics related to resilience and Indigenous knowledge/other ways of knowing. I learned a lot from the other students and really appreciated being able to get together in person, share meals, and talk about nerdy stuff with other nerds. We had some really fruitful conversations around our student-led group paper on traditional management as levers of resilience. I think we ended up with more ideas than we started with! 

Dylan Hillis: The opportunity to engage resilience theory with like-minded peers provided an unparalleled chance to discuss emerging trends in the field, identify new perspectives and practices for assessing resilience properties, and most importantly, make connections and share experiences with a transnational group of young scholars. As I began as a ResNet HQP in January 2020, I have had very few chances to travel for networking opportunities. So, traveling to Michigan for this workshop represented a new (and long anticipated) experience for me […] we left feeling energized at the prospect of continuing our work moving forward; but, also - at least for myself - I felt humbled at the prospect of working with a group of exceptional researchers who also happen to be deeply thoughtful and caring people.  

Group members of RAYS and TMLR enjoying a campus tour of Michigan State University.

Ela Vermette-Furst: I am grateful to have had the opportunity to travel to Michigan for the workshop. As an undergrad, getting the chance to be involved in research feels like a novel experience, but getting your bearings can sometimes be a challenge. Meeting in person allowed me to connect meaningfully and learn from my more experienced peers. I left feeling confident in my role in the project. Also, in hindsight, devoting two full days to the project gave us a strong understanding of our goals as a group, allowing for a strong foundation moving forward.   
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Anna Pieper: This project gave me the opportunity to dive into a completely new topic of thought. Without much prior knowledge, I was welcomed to listen, learn and contribute. The many sessions and discussions in smaller groups gave rise to interesting discussions and various possible outcomes this project could have. Outside of the academic workshops, it was great to meet other students in the field, and hear about their pathways, current projects and future aspirations! On many levels, this was a mentally challenging trip – in a really good way! 
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What's next for TMLR? 
​The TMLR group continues to meet monthly to discuss ideas and the next steps ahead. At ResNet’s upcoming AGM, a hybrid workshop is planned to reconnect to the outcomes of the Michigan weekend. We are excited to see what this group will find!