Queen’s University student Amber Vance recently completed a three week placement at York University’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit where she researched knowledge translation products. Here are her reflections on the experience.
Amber Vance, une étudiante de l’Université Queen’s, a fait récemment un stage de trois semaines à l’Unité de mobilisation des connaissances de l’Université York, où elle a réalisé un travail de recherche sur les résultats de l’application des connaissances. Elle partage ici les réflexions que cette expérience lui a inspirées.
I believed I had a clear understanding of what the Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit at York University did prior to coming into this practicum. As it turns out, KMb is so much more then I could have imagined. Over the past 3 weeks I have learned a lot more then I anticipated.
My position with KMb had me researching KMb translation products from around the world. I researched both KMb Units (like the one at York) and KMb partner organizations likely created with the help of KMb Units. I was researching their products but while researching products I ended up learned abut brain research as well as bullying, politics, health and substance abuse, just to name a few.
I understood that KMb was important to research because it made research accessible. However I learned that KMb does more powerful then making research accessible, it’s KMb that implements changes for the better. The products they offer to support research and research mobilization are changing our world.
I now know that KMb in much bigger then I had realized and growing rapidly. I am excited to see the level of sophistication and creativity that goes into the products being created. I am happy to have played a role in the KMb Unit and I am eager to see the future products that come out of the KMb Unit here at York.
I have had an amazing time working with the team at York. It is very clear that collaboration and teamwork is not just a strategy developed for the units knowledge brokering but something that they believe in and is at the heart of their unit. Thank you so much for taking me on and I hope to continue these new relationships we have built.
Amber Vance