Charter flight to equality

Despite 바카라사이트 diligent work of many higher education institutions and sector organisations, including 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit, systemic discrimination on 바카라사이트 grounds of race persists in 바카라사이트 academy (¡°Race discrimination in academia ¡®has not improved¡¯ over past 20 years¡±, News, 11 April).

Overall, 바카라사이트 numbers of black and minority ethnic staff in senior management or professorial roles remain disproportionately small. The experiences of discrimination and exclusionary practice reported in 바카라사이트 study by 바카라사이트 University of Southampton¡¯s Kalwant Bhopal are echoed by our own research. We have worked with many institutions on initiatives to promote race equality, but this is a complex and sometimes sensitive issue requiring a strategic approach. It is clear to us that cultural and systemic changes are necessary if we are to make headway in this area.

The Equality Challenge Unit is developing and trialling a race equality ¡°charter mark¡±, which is intended to instigate long-term changes to tackle race discrimination. Initially aimed at improving equality for staff and concentrating on career progression at 바카라사이트 senior level, 바카라사이트 charter mark will also relate to pipeline issues. The A바카라사이트na SWAN charter (improving gender equality in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics subjects) has shown that such schemes can have a significant impact on entrenched exclusionary practices and can change behaviour within institutions.

In acknowledgement of 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 challenges posed by gender and race inequality are different, 바카라사이트 proposed charter mark will begin as a small-scale trial and will grow incrementally. It will be developed in consultation with 바카라사이트 sector and will be flexible in order to take into account institutional contexts (size, location and so on).

There is a long way to go, but 바카라사이트 goal is clear. There is no room for discrimination in UK higher education: it must make tangible changes or risk losing its reputation as a global leader.

David Ruebain
Chief executive
Equality Challenge Unit