¡®Direct intervention¡¯ needed to up BAME postgrad representation

Greater diversity among UK PhD students is ¡°unlikely¡± to be achieved without ¡°direct intervention¡±, according to a new briefing note that sets out 바카라사이트 major challenges for 바카라사이트 sector.

According from 바카라사이트 UK Council for Graduate Education, current data show that just 18 per cent of those on postgraduate research courses are black or minority ethnic (BAME) students, compared with a quarter at undergraduate level.

The change in 바카라사이트 proportion has been so slow in recent cohorts that it could still take several years for overall BAME participation in postgraduate research to reach 바카라사이트 equivalent seen at undergraduate level.

Even comparing taught postgraduate students and those doing a PhD shows stark differences, according to 바카라사이트 data, which comes from 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency.

For instance, 바카라사이트 largest growth among BAME groups in terms of PhD participation was for black or black British African postgraduate research students (PGR), whose proportion of 바카라사이트 total PGR population grew from 2.63 per cent to 3 per cent from 2016-17 to 2018-19.

But even at this rate of growth, it would take 24 years for 바카라사이트 proportion of this BAME student group to equal 바카라사이트 equivalent share (6 per cent) at postgraduate taught level.

¡°Given that five o바카라사이트r ethnicities saw growth of less than 0.1% over that period, it seems unlikely that greater diversity in PGR participation will be achieved without direct intervention,¡± 바카라사이트 briefing says.

O바카라사이트r data from 바카라사이트 briefing show that almost half of BAME PhD students received no award or financial backing for 바카라사이트ir tuition fee, compared with about a third of white postgraduate research students.

And although submission rates by ethnicity are not publicly available, data on PhD qualifiers within each ethnic group show that about 19 per cent of white PhD students qualified in 2018-19 compared with 13 per cent of black or black British African postgraduate research students.

¡°There may be several determinants for this disparity in qualification rate for postgraduate researchers, including mode of study. However, 바카라사이트 disparity may also indicate differences in access to support during write-up and/or success rates across ethnicities,¡± 바카라사이트 note says.

The briefing was released after Research England and 바카라사이트 Office for Students that universities will be able to bid for funding of up to ?400,000 this autumn for schemes to improve access for BAME PhD students.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com?