Whether it's about war, gender, politics or race – two Monash researchers recognised the difficulties in having civil discussions about sometimes fraught issues – creating a program designed to teach students and academics about how to hold these brave conversations.
Monash researchers Drs Farid Zaid and Daniel Heller first crossed paths during a graduate psychology seminar, where an unexpected tangent led them to a shared concern: that it had become increasingly difficult – within a university setting – to have honest, uncomfortable conversations.
"There was this sense that, with everything going on in the world, students and educators were holding back," said Dr Zaid. "People were afraid of being seen as polarising or disrespectful, so they stayed silent. The problem was, in that silence, only the loudest voices on the extremes were being heard – and that was creating a lot of unspoken tension."
The two decided to collaborate on a program called Brave Conversations, that teaches educators and students how to listen with empathy and "to stay in the room when things get uncomfortable, whether it's about the COVID vaccines, gender identity, war in the Middle East or other issues that have sparked deep divisions in our society," Dr Heller said.
Brave Conversations sits in Monash's Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies (M3CS). Dr. Heller is from the Australian Centre for Jewish Civilisation and Dr Zaid is from the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health.
The program began in late 2023 with a staff-facing workshop series and an accompanying toolkit. The first intake filled within three hours of going online. Since then, over 300 senior academics have completed the four-hour training sessions, which focus on navigating classroom tensions and modelling respectful disagreement in times of global conflict.
According to Dr Zaid, there is a perception that students are less engaged in their studies, in part because they're challenged less. "There's an aversion to disagreement – a fear of getting it wrong or offending someone – which can make teaching feel bland, comfortable, and ultimately unmemorable, for both educators and students."
Dr Heller adds: "We teach how to move through the discomfort. If you sit with the tension long enough and stay curious, you may discover opportunities for understanding, connection and collaboration you never thought possible."
The Brave Conversation Project plans to conduct studies testing different tools to help people engage in constructive disagreement. This includes tracking physiological changes, such as heart rate and eye movement. "It gives us a way to track discomfort empirically as it unfolds," said Dr Zaid.
While the evidence is being collated, Drs Zaid and Heller are forging ahead with plans this year to start an undergraduate program like the one for Monash University teaching staff. "We are conducting the courses in real time, while testing them as well," Dr Heller said.
In Semester two this year, the pair are planning to hold up to 20 workshops for academic staff, and next year will hold a pilot week-long retreat for 30 students from eight universities across Australia. The pair will also begin, in July 2025, an internship program for undergraduate students both from the faculty of Arts as well as the School of Psychology.
Dr. Zaid joked, "at the end of the day, we are two middle aged guys. We don't know how an 18-year old thinks, or what they want, or how they see the world! So, we need their input in designing the program for students."
The pair are currently seeking philanthropic support to grow the student engagement arm of Brave Conversations.
Interested in learning how to have brave conversations at Monash University?
