Building a Thriving Research Community
The Story of ResWell and Its Founders
Prof. Bruria Adini is an expert in emergency preparedness and response for healthcare systems during mass casualty events and disasters. She is involved in both field and academic activities, conducting research, implementing findings, and promoting effective management of emergencies and disasters. She currently serves as the head of the Department of Emergency Management and Disaster Medicine at Tel Aviv University and is involved in various national and international organizations related to emergency management such as Local Authorities Confronting Disasters and Emergencies (LACDE) or the Israeli National Council for Trauma and Surgery.
Prof. Shaul Kimhi has extensive experience of over 20 years of research in the fields of individual, community, and national resilience, coping with stress, and political and army psychology. He has published 4 books, 86 articles in refereed journals, and 12 chapters in collections. He served as the Head of the Psychology Department at Tel-Hai College, participated in many international academic conferences, and served as a special advisor in the Israeli Army Intelligence Corps. Today, he is Professor Emeritus at Tel-Hai College and together with Prof. Bruria Adini, he is one of the founders of ResWell.
ResWell was founded in 2020 with the aim of creating international cooperation on resilience and wellbeing research through information sharing and the use of standardized measurement tools.
In Prof. Adini’s words:
"ResWell was established due to the understanding that our world today consists of a global community and although varied societies have different characteristics, cultures, contexts, and challenges, there are many commonalities concerning their capacity to cope with and manage varied adversities. Identifying these commonalities and diversities can assist in enhancing the ability to build more resilient populations, achieve better outcomes in relation to the well-being of different populations, and decrease adverse outcomes. Learning different perspectives and implementing them in joint research ventures was deemed vital to provide explanations concerning different types of coping mechanisms in similar scenarios. The collaboration was established during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided a unique opportunity to compare the management of the pandemic and the different results that were achieved, based on contextual factors."
Prof. Shaul Kimhi was inspired to found ResWell due to the lack of collaborations in resilience research despite the global importance of the topic. Prof. Bruria Adini joined in because she believed that working with multi-disciplinary and inter-state researchers and policy-makers could enhance knowledge and competencies in resilience research through pooled expertise, enhanced data collection and analysis, and improved understanding of regional differences and similarities. The founders saw the potential for ResWell to offer solutions to complex issues, inform policy and practice, and create a global network of researchers and stakeholders that will increase the visibility and credibility of resilience and wellbeing research.
ResWell facilitated the creation of networks between researchers and policy-makers from different countries, leading, for instance, to a deeper understanding of the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on various societies, enriching knowledge on resilience, and offering opportunities to positively impact society, which both founders consider very rewarding, professionally and personally.
As stated by Prof. Kimhi:
"What impresses me the most about ResWell is the universal nature of the issues being addressed in resilience and well-being research. I also find it commendable that the questionnaires used in each country have been translated into local languages and still maintain high reliability and validity in completely different cultures. This not only demonstrates the effectiveness of the measurement tools, but also highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity and understanding in conducting cross-cultural research. ResWell's commitment to promoting international cooperation and sharing of knowledge and resources is a valuable contribution to the field, with the potential to have a significant impact on global well-being."
Both Prof. Adini and Prof. Kimhi have the same vision for the future of ResWell, envisioning the platform to become a thriving research collaboration with over 100 affiliates from more than 40 countries within five years. The ultimate goal is to strengthen the connectivity between researchers and policy and decision-makers, allowing the results of studies to have a significant impact on the design of interventions and policies that enhance global community resilience and well-being. To achieve this, they hope to see top researchers from various countries leading teams of researchers in cross-border studies of shared interests, while also exploring new areas. Pulling theory and practice together will be crucial for improving the capacity to enhance the resilience and well-being of the global community.
