Eleanor is a public policy expert with over 19-years experience in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Working at the intersection of technology, development, gender and digital rights, Eleanor believes in the value of original research in making a strong case for policy reforms . She’s been involved with research on affordability, digital taxation, digital gender audits, and she’s also led reforms for national broadband policies and training for policymakers. She hopes to bring her experience in the digital and internet space to support the growth of the research and knowledge community.
When asked why Eleanor wanted to join INASP, she responds by saying that their rich experience in supporting researchers resonates with her own beliefs, and that she would love to see an increase in diversity, inclusion and greater contribution to global research and knowledge sharing, from researchers from low and middle income countries and from women in particular.
On the future of INASP, she notes that the Covid-19 pandemic has amplified the need to push for greater digital access and equitable distribution of resources. There is greater attention and investment in digital and online learning and INASP is well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities; but the strategy has to be right to be impactful. She also notes that it’s important to keep showing relevance when pursuing competitive funding, and that there are opportunities to be found in more diverse funding pools.
“Research and knowledge development are critical levers for policy making. The more inclusive and accessible our platform is for researchers to connect, have their work amplified, supported and increase equitable knowledge flow, the more relevant INASP will be.”
Finally, Eleanor states that she found the Oxford HR process very supportive –
“they kept me informed every step of the way.”
