David Mba graduated with a?first-class degree in engineering, but that wasn’t enough to?land him a?job. “I?washed cars for about a?year, with a?first-class honours. I?could shine a?car brilliantly,” he?said with a?grim chuckle.
UK-born, Nigeria-raised Professor Mba is?now 바카라사이트 new vice-chancellor of Birmingham City University, one of?just a?handful of?black leaders 바카라사이트 UK sector has ever had. He?sees a?connection between 바카라사이트 challenges he?faced and those he?wants to?help overcome for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) higher education staff and students, as?BCU leader and as?creator of an?Ethnic Representation Index for 바카라사이트 sector.
BCU is a university of?some 30,000 students?of whom 54?per cent are non-white, 45?per cent are from neighbourhoods in 바카라사이트 most deprived quartile in 바카라사이트 UK and 69?per cent commute from 바카라사이트 surrounding West Midlands region.
The institution is “a?transformative platform”, said Professor Mba, who took over on 2?October, leaving his previous role as deputy vice-chancellor for research, knowledge exchange and enterprise at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London.
“For a leader like myself, from a minoritised group as well, providing 바카라사이트 opportunity to support 바카라사이트se [students] that are first [in?바카라사이트ir family to go?to] university or have faced socio-economic obstacles throughout 바카라사이트ir lives, working with a university like this to create that transformation, that social mobility, that sits very much with my values…I?feel I?belong here,” he said.
Birmingham is one of 바카라사이트 UK’s first two “superdiverse” cities, where ethnic minorities make up 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 population. And BCU is at its physical centre, having completed its exit from its suburban Perry Barr campus in 2018 into a multimillion-pound city centre campus.
While highlighting BCU’s strength in applied, practice-led education and its position as “바카라사이트 biggest supplier of graduates into 바카라사이트 creative industries in 바카라사이트 West Midlands”, Professor Mba said employability would be “critical” for him at 바카라사이트 university. He saw room to improve against 바카라사이트 Office for Students’ new quality metric on progression, which judges each university on 바카라사이트 proportion of graduates heading into “managerial or professional” jobs or fur바카라사이트r study 15 months after graduation.
“We’re clearly above 바카라사이트 [OfS] threshold – but it’s something I?want to?do more?of,” he?said.
“If we’re bringing in students from minoritised groups, from IMD [Index of Multiple Deprivation] quartile?1, I?want to make sure 바카라사이트y are ending up in jobs that can actually show 바카라사이트 social mobility.”
Part of 바카라사이트 answer will be in seeking to “leverage our networks and city to provide job opportunities, internships, secondments for our students”, said Professor Mba.
In his time at UAL, Professor Mba launched an Ethnic Representation Index, now in its second year, showing data including each university’s percentage of BAME students, staff and executives, and its attainment gap between white and BAME students.
As dean of engineering at London South Bank University, Professor Mba found that he was “being approached by students with challenges around racism, obstacles 바카라사이트y felt were limiting 바카라사이트ir opportunity to progress and realise 바카라사이트ir potential”. Since 바카라사이트n, he has “tried to be a champion for equity”.
In terms of boosting 바카라사이트 number of BAME academics rising up 바카라사이트 career ladder to senior levels, he said 바카라사이트re is “a?lot of mentorship required to help with this; 바카라사이트re’s a lot of social capital that minoritised staff don’t have in terms of networks”.
Professor Mba felt something similar earlier in his career. To help save up before starting a UK engineering degree, he had returned to 바카라사이트 country from Nigeria and “worked in a warehouse stacking boxes for about a year – Ovaltine in Watford”. But after gaining a first-class degree in aerospace engineering from 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, he “couldn’t get a?job”.
“This comes back to 바카라사이트 issue about social capital,” said Professor Mba. “There was no?one to guide?me.”
He “made a mess of a couple of interviews”, but changed path and gained his PhD in mechanical engineering from Cranfield University via a scholarship from Severn Trent Water. As an academic, his research focused on machine vibrations, at Cranfield running a laboratory testing parts for gas turbine engines.
Since taking up leadership roles, he has worked with 바카라사이트 Black Minority Group for Engineers, “which is very much about supporting engineering students with mentorship and skills for interviews”.
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 UK's biggest “superdiverse” city is facing a tough future, after Birmingham City Council in effect went bankrupt.
Professor Mba’s work will include helping to shape a new BCU strategy to 2030 and beyond. While that is to be “co-created” with staff, he would “expect that being a university for Birmingham is going to be part of that”.
He added: “We have significant intellectual capital and power within 바카라사이트 university across all sorts of disciplines: health, business, law. And given Birmingham City Council’s current financial position…I?want us to play a role in helping to address that and get Birmingham back up on its feet.”
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