I had been following the work of Professor Ksenia Chmutina both in print and on social media ever since Professor JC Gaillard connected us through RADIX: Radical Interpretations of Disasters in X (formerly Twitter) in May 2023. Her critical perspective on disaster interpretation and her commitment to highlighting the contributions of female researchers strongly resonate with my own professional ethos. So, when she posted about the opportunity to spend a month engaging at Loughborough University through the IAS Residential Fellowship—including the promise of coffee sessions with her—I applied without hesitation.

My application focused on the regional research project I lead on flood preparedness among urban communities in Southeast Asia. At the time of writing it, I had just completed a year-long data collection phase across Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. I was seeking opportunities to exchange insights with experts on disaster risk creation and communication for social change, as the first papers from our project fall within these themes. Naturally, I nominated Professor Chmutina and Professor Thomas Tufte as the key scholars I hoped to engage with during the fellowship.

Arriving at Loughborough University at the start of spring was a beautiful experience. Staying at the IAS Flat, located on campus, allowed me to witness the coming to life of the foliage as trees began to bloom and the lawns erupted with purple hues from flowering plants. Each afternoon, I took long walks through the campus—my quiet signal that the day’s writing was done. Being able to pause all other academic responsibilities and simply focus on the joy of writing was a rare privilege that the fellowship afforded. This sense of comfort and ease was made possible by the thoughtful IAS team. Ksenia, Connor, Laura, Kieran, and Yajie ensured that my first trip to the UK was memorable, even giving me personal tours around campus and beyond.

During my residency, I delivered two lectures. The first shared preliminary findings from my research project, focusing on localizing the concept of resilience in Southeast Asia. A distinctive feature of this presentation was the inclusion of my collaborators via pre-recorded video segments. The second lecture centered on the creative and reflexive methods I employed during data collection. Weekly lectures and informal coffee sessions provided opportunities to explore emerging research on disaster studies, migration, sustainability, and artificial intelligence. And best of all, I finished revising papers and writing a chapter for my monograph!

My residency concluded with a visit to Loughborough’s London campus, where I had a thoughtful conversation with Professor Tufte about civil societies and their roles in humanitarian spaces. As my project enters its second year of implementation, I look forward to continuing these connections with colleagues at the IAS and hope to welcome them in Brunei in the near future.

Dr Maria Carinnes P. Alejandria