Interview with Dr Vanita Sundaram

Why did I join the Department?

I joined the Department in 2006 as a research fellow on a project. Before that I had been a research assistant in Copenhagen working at the National Institute of Public Health. My research has focused on gender. I was drawn to applying to work at York because of the Department’s focus on equality issues which has been a thread through all that I have done. I worked on this project for about 18 months and then successfully applied for a lectureship in the Department. Since then I have been a member for the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice and have worked as the senior lecturer on issues surrounding gender and education. I held the post of Director of Undergraduate studies in the Department until April of last year when I became the programme leader for the BA in Educational Studies.

What makes the Department special?

I value the collegiality of the Department of Education at York, it’s a really warm, friendly and open department and I have met some of my really good friends from working here. The atmosphere of the Department makes it a pleasure to come to work and I also find that it makes it a lot easier to get work done because you are having conversations with people that you consider your friends.

I also appreciate the independence that I have been given by the Department as a member of academic staff, working with the department has expanded the kind of work that I do research wise and also the Department has supported me in my research into gender and education despite the Department not previously having a very strong profile in this area. I have been able to do the work that I care about and also to make a genuine contribution to the profile of the Department.

Education is important because it is so central to people’s lives and it determines people’s lives in such a fundamental way. Your experience at school can impact on your choices and opportunities in the future.

What does the future hold?

I think that York has achieved a great deal in terms of building up a research base which shows that there are key factors that influence access and participation in education and the outcomes of education.

I would like to see a continued focus on social justice issues as I think they are becoming ever more important, especially in times when cuts are being made to some of the most vulnerable groups in society which may impact on their educational opportunities and outcomes.