Challenging Inequalities: decolonising the curriculum across Eastern Arc

Thu, 15 April 2021 12:00 – 13:30 BST

An online discussion to look at the push to challenge inequalities across the EARC universities of UEA, Essex and Kent

The push to decolonise the curriculum has been gathering momentum for a decade, but has been given increased urgency in the last year with the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and a wider awareness of ingrained and embedded inequalities, particularly within institutions. But how does this work in practice? What can be done, and how difficult will it be to reset long-held Euro-centric assumptions?

Eastern Arc will be hosting a discussion to look at what is happening across the EARC universities of UEA, Essex and Kent, as well as the wider movement.

We will hear from three colleagues who have combined the theoretical and the practical. They draw on their research backgrounds examining a wide range of issues around race, justice and inequality, as well as their experiences as educators. They have taken this further and have advocated for change within their institutions, working to address entrenched notions of privilege and identity. They will discuss the barriers they have faced, the successes they have achieved, and the challenges (and opportunities) that lie ahead.

Barbara Adewumi (Kent): Barbara joined Kent in 2017 as a Sociology lecturer. She currently works as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Student Success to develop and conduct research on BME academic progression, engagement and belonging to help close the white-BME awarding gap. She leads the Diversity Mark Project at Kent.

Hannah Gibson (Essex): Hannah is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Essex who works primarily on African languages. She has an interest in language and identity, as well as the relationship between linguistics and social justice. She has worked with students and colleagues on a number of projects looking at decolonising the curriculum at Essex.

Claire Hynes (UEA): Claire is a Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing at UEA. Her fiction and non-fiction writing explores black British identities, and she has previously worked as a news editor for The Voice newspaper, a writer for national newspapers and a BBC television producer. She is currently leading and implementing on decolonising the curriculum within her School, including the creation of a BIPOC student ambassador scheme.

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