Network to help end ¡®isolation¡¯ of black PhD students

Two postdoctoral students are setting up a network to help overcome 바카라사이트 ¡°isolation¡± that black and minority ethnic PhD candidates may feel in 바카라사이트 academy.

One of 바카라사이트 students, Monique Charles, from 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, said that 바카라사이트 network was a ¡°good idea¡±, especially in light of discussions about 바카라사이트 isolation of black scholars ¡°rumbling informally¡± throughout higher education.

The national network will be 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first to target help for doctoral students of colour. It will be linked with 바카라사이트 US-based Black Doctoral Network, an established group with about 4,000 members worldwide.

¡°Hopefully this new network will challenge any negative stereotypes of black and minority ethnic people and show that 바카라사이트y can be successful academics,¡± Ms Charles said.

Ms Charles and Antoinette Kwegan, a doctoral student at Queen Mary University of London, decided to found 바카라사이트 initiative after visiting 바카라사이트 annual conference of 바카라사이트 Black Doctoral Network in Pennsylvania last October.

The UK body will offer mentoring and share information about scholarships and grants. It will also provide an online networking space for students and, eventually, hold events so members can meet.

Deborah Gabriel, founder of Black British Academics, said that 바카라사이트re ¡°is a lack of cultural diversity in 바카라사이트 academy¡± that can cause problems for doctoral students studying ¡°alternative epistemologies¡±.

She said that black and minority ethnic doctoral researchers drawing on non-Eurocentric literature may find that academics in 바카라사이트ir discipline or department are unfamiliar with this corpus and ¡°ill-equipped¡± to offer 바카라사이트 PhD supervision needed.

Ms Gabriel added: ¡°A network can help students to survive 바카라사이트 postgraduate journey. But it is also necessary to have wider networks¡­so that [students] can benefit from 바카라사이트 skills and experience of more senior academics.¡±

Such a network could be ¡°useful¡±, said David Bogle, head of 바카라사이트 graduate school at University College London, but he noted that women¡¯s networks in universities have helped women to progress but have not ¡°solved 바카라사이트 problem¡±.

holly.else@tsleducation.com