The Centre for Research on Health Equity and Social Inclusion (CRHESI) was proud to participate in Engage Western 2025, Western University’s annual celebration of community-university partnerships. Held at London’s RBC Convention Centre, Engage Western brought together more than 50 community organizations, Western leaders and researchers, and students to showcase projects that strengthen communities, drive innovation, and create meaningful social change.
This year’s event emphasized the power of collaboration between universities and community partners. In their opening remarks, London Mayor Josh Morgan highlighted the importance of working alongside academic institutions to address pressing community challenges, including housing, healthcare access, and social inclusion. Western University President Alan Shepard emphasized that universities have a responsibility to engage beyond campus boundaries, using knowledge, research, and innovation to contribute to positive change across the region. The energy in the room reflected a shared commitment to equity, impact, and collective action.
CRHESI hosted an interactive booth at the event, offering visitors a deeper look into several ongoing projects. A key highlight was the launch of CRHESI’s new online learning module, “What Gets Counted, Counts: Safely Collecting Sociodemographic Data to Drive Equitable Change.” Developed in collaboration with interdisciplinary medical sciences students, this module equips organizations with tools to safely and ethically collect sociodemographic data. It aims to foster equity-informed decision-making by helping service providers understand the importance of asking identity-related questions in ways that respect dignity, build trust, and improve services. The module was officially launched at Engage Western and is now publicly accessible through CRHESI’s website.
In addition to the module launch, CRHESI showcased its leadership in three other critical areas of work. First, through its Health & Homelessness Research and Evaluation Initiative, CRHESI contributes to understanding the needs of unhoused populations in London and evaluating community responses. By developing frameworks that bridge academic research with frontline knowledge, CRHESI supports data-driven improvements to health and housing services, helping to guide the evaluation of the London’s Whole of Community Response to Health and Homelessness.
We also presented our contributions to the City of London’s Stop TolerHating campaign, a city-wide initiative to address and prevent hate and its impacts. CRHESI’s work in this space includes creating educational tools, supporting public awareness campaigns, and hosting critical conversations that challenge racism and promote inclusive communities, especially as related to health care experiences. By partnering with the City, CRHESI is helping drive systemic change toward a safer, more welcoming London.
CRHESI’s Newcomer Clinic Evaluation, which partners with London InterCommunity Health Centre and the Cross Cultural Learners Centre, highlights efforts to examine access to health care for government-assisted refugees in London. Through storytelling, interviews, and journey mapping, the evaluation captures newcomers’ experiences accessing culturally safe and trauma- and violence-informed health and settlement supports. This work is helping build and sustain more responsive, integrated care models for newcomers in the city.
Speaking about CRHESI’s presence at Engage Western, CRHESI Academic Co-Director Nadine Wathen said “CRHESI is already well-known in the community; in many ways, an event like this allows us to show our campus colleagues how Western’s research and knowledge mobilization efforts can benefit all of London.” Similarly, Heather Lokko, CRHESI Community Co-Director emphasized the importance of connecting community-engaged research, regardless of topic, to practical action for equity and inclusion.
Through initiatives like these, CRHESI continues to bridge the gap between research and community needs. Its presence at Engage Western 2025 demonstrated the powerful role that academic-community partnerships play in creating a healthier, more inclusive, and more equitable London.
For more information about CRHESI’s work, visit: crhesi.uwo.ca