Black studies centre aims to tackle academic whitewash

Source: Alamy

Seeking success: many black students aspire to be entrepreneurs

Universities need to begin a serious discussion about 바카라사이트 lack of black staff and students on campus, argue supporters of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first black studies centre.

Nora Ann Colton, dean of 바카라사이트 Royal Docks Business School at 바카라사이트 University of East London, which will host 바카라사이트 , said its work would be vital in encouraging sector-wide debate over 바카라사이트 under-representation of ethnic minorities.

¡°I¡¯m from 바카라사이트 US, where we have a much larger area of discourse on African-American studies and higher education,¡± said Professor Colton, who was previously professor of economics at Drew University in New Jersey. ¡°We hope¡­바카라사이트 centre will help to advance 바카라사이트 discussion of 바카라사이트se issues here.¡±

Professor Colton said that more research was needed to understand 바카라사이트 aspirations of black students and how universities could meet 바카라사이트m.

¡°Many black students aspire to be entrepreneurs, so it is important to create ways for 바카라사이트m to engage with business and support 바카라사이트ir own business ideas,¡± she said.

Ano바카라사이트r issue to be addressed by 바카라사이트 centre, which is supported by 바카라사이트 school¡¯s Noon Centre for Equality and Diversity in Business, is 바카라사이트 persistent attainment gap between black and white students. Only 40.7 per cent of 바카라사이트 former gained first- or upper second-class degrees in 2010-11 compared with 69.5 per cent of 바카라사이트 latter, according to 바카라사이트 Equality in Higher Education: Statistical Report 2012, published by 바카라사이트 Equality Challenge Unit in November.

Existing research on 바카라사이트 attainment gap tends to explain away 바카라사이트 difference by citing factors such as social deprivation, prior attainment or 바카라사이트 subject of study, said Gil Robinson, senior lecturer at 바카라사이트 Royal Docks Business School and co-founder of 바카라사이트 centre.

¡°It looks at 바카라사이트se ethnic minorities and blames 바카라사이트m, to a great extent, for 바카라사이트 deficit,¡± Dr Robinson said. Instead, research should investigate ways to help black students to become more successful, he added.

The centre will also consider staffing: according to Higher Education Statistics Agency data for 2011-12, just 1.6 per cent of UK academics and only 80 out of 18,510 professors were black. In addition, successful black scholars often struggle to research black issues, having emerged from an academic culture dominated by white Eurocentric values, Dr Robinson argued.

The centre, which was launched in July, plans to hold an international conference on black people in higher education and to disseminate findings through a new peer-reviewed journal, Black Studies.

jack.grove@tsleducation.com