EDIA: Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Adversity; Nurturing an inclusive research culture in the face of sector wide challenges

In the context of the drastic changes in Higher Education since the 1990s, and an increasing emphasis on equality and inclusion, initiatives such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter have led to more awareness of exclusionary practices. However, toxic national and global narratives and practices, and a funding crisis in UK Higher Education, are creating significant risks to past and present progress being made towards ensuring a more inclusive and enabling academic environment.

It could be argued that the risks to equal, diverse and inclusive practices in Higher Education have never felt more perilous. Not only are academic institutions across the United Kingdom facing financial adversity in a way that has never been experienced before, but there is also a national and global narrative that is fuelling a war against equality, diversity, and inclusion.

In the United Kingdom, our Government are making it much harder for disabled people to access Personal Independence Payments (PIP), a lifeline for many that helps with the extra costs that can be incurred when living with a long term chronic health condition or disability.

Additionally, the ruling, guidance and surrounding media coverage of the recent Supreme Court ruling, and interim Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance on the legal definition of 'woman' within the Equality Act 2010, is already causing real harm to staff and students working across Higher Education.

Across the pond in the United States of America, there is clear and mounting action and evidence of a rise in inequalities, from the removal of DEI (diversity, equality, and inclusion) roles and initiatives in Government departments, and the impact this is having on American education and research in academia.

Adversity in any sector impacts everyone, but it does not impact everyone equally. However, for the purposes of this proposal, we are focusing on the marginalised communities working across research and innovation in Higher Education – postgraduate research students (postgraduate) and research/researching staff (Academic, Professional Services, and Technical Services), exploring how we can proactively fight against this tide of intolerance to ensure that we are able to nurture and sustain a research culture that is inclusive and supportive, that is not only professional development enabling, but that can also nurture belonging and kindness.

The aim of this presentation will be to demonstrate the idea that you, that all of us, really pay attention, think about, and actively choose the kind of research culture we want to be part of, and who we can all choose to be within that environment. Our strength is in community, and together we can find a way forwards in the face of systemic oppression, not just for the benefit of our shared research culture, but for the greater good of society.