Newsroom University of Swagֱ��

University of Swagֱ�� awarded Silver Race Equality Charter award

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 11:54:39 +0000

Swagֱ�� has been awarded a Silver Award – one of only two Higher Education Institutions in the UK to now hold this award. The result follows the submission of a .

REC is part of Advance HE’s Equality Charter Marks programme and provides an opportunity to identify both areas of good practice and where we’re doing less well to co-create actions that advance race equality at the University.

The University has been part of REC since its inception in 2015. In previous submissions, in 2015 and 2018, the university received Bronze awards. To achieve these awards, areas for development we highlighted.

This new Silver submission goes further to reflect on progress as well as ongoing challenges and developed a bold, ambitious, and sustainable plan to eliminate racial inequalities and become an anti-discriminatory, anti-racist, inclusive organisation where everyone feels a sense of belonging and can thrive.

The was based on comprehensive data analysis and open and honest conversations with our students and staff at all levels who shared both positive and negative experiences. Although 96% of actions from our previous award were either ‘achieved’ or ‘in progress’, these candid conversations, together with results of staff and student surveys, provided evidence that not everyone was aware of, or felt they had benefited from the progress made since the previous submission.

The Silver application therefore explicitly focuses on developing ‘’. This ambition can only be realised by working together to co-create integrated actions aligned with clear targets and other University strategies.

Swagֱ�� is committed to progressing race equality. For full transparency, The REC Achievement Plan which emphasises our future focus on impact and not just action has been made available.

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Dawn Edge, Professor of Mental Health and Inclusivity, University Academic Lead for Race, Religion and Belief and Chair of the REC self-assessment team, said: “We know we still have a way to go and need to move at pace, ensuring no one is left behind. Our Achievement Plan therefore signals our intention to focus on measurable markers of success in representation, retention, progression, and culture. Whilst action owners will have responsibility for delivery, we all have a role in eliminating discrimination and advancing race equality.

"We look forward to working with you, evaluating and reporting our progress, to ensure that our University is a great place to work and study for all.”

Mental health and pregnancy research in Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities awarded £2 million

Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:32:48 +0100

Genes & Health, a pioneering genetic research programme that aims to improve health for British Bangladeshi and British Pakistani communities, has been given a prestigious ‘Longitudinal Population Study’ award of £2 million from the Medical Research Council.

The award - which includes University of Swagֱ�� researchers - will ensure the study’s long-term sustainability to fight health inequality in an underrepresented population of British South Asians. Launched in 2014, the community-focused project has recruited over 55,000 volunteers across London, Bradford, and Swagֱ��.

Genes & Health brings together internationally renowned scientists to make new discoveries, using cutting-edge techniques such as discovering ‘knockout genes,’ developing polygenic risk scores, and helping with the design of new drug treatments.

The funding will allow Genes & Health to continue to provide a unique data source for researchers, generate valuable long-term data, as well as expand its focus on two areas of unmet health needs: mental health and pregnancy.

Studies have shown that individuals belonging to South Asian communities are comparatively less likely to receive diagnosis for mental health conditions, such as depression. As part of its aim to improve the lives of South Asians, Genes & Health will develop and deliver an innovative online platform that will be used to generate large-scale mental health research.

Similarly, British South Asian women face greater risks for disorders such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia compared to the general population during and after pregnancy.

The inclusion of this pregnancy cohort within Genes & Health will enable a greater understanding of pregnancy-associated medical disorders and prediction of long-term health risks following illness.

Dr Sarah Finer, Principal Investigator of the new award said:

“We are excited to receive funding to expand Genes & Health over the coming years and continue to make critical scientific discoveries that help improve the health of British Bangladeshis and British Pakistanis.”

Councillor Ahsan Khan, Chair of the Genes & Health Community Advisory Group said:

“Genes & Health has received incredible support from our volunteers and partners in the NHS, community organisations and local government. We look forward to another five years of work in these fantastic partnerships.”

Want to join the Genes & Health programme and make a meaningful contribution to scientific advancements in health and disease research? Visit us at and be part of shaping the future of medical research.
Find out more about Genes & Health’s pioneering research through the Queen Mary, University of London Research Highways feature here:

Over a third of people from minority groups have experienced racist assaults, survey finds

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 11:00:46 +0100

More than a third of people from ethnic and religious minority groups in Britain have experienced some form of racist assault, according to new research led by experts from Swagֱ��, the University of St Andrews and King’s College London.

The is a major new survey of racism and ethnic inequalities carried out by the , which reveals the extent of racism and racial discrimination experienced by people from ethnic and religious minority groups.

The racism reported by the survey’s respondents took different forms - physical, verbal or damage to property - and happened in all areas of life including education, work and when looking for housing.

Overall, almost one in six respondents had experienced a racially motivated physical assault, but over a third of people identifying as Gypsy/Traveller, Roma or Other Black reported that they had been physically assaulted because of their ethnicity, race, colour, or religion.

Over a quarter had been verbally abused or insulted because of their ethnicity, race, colour, or religion, and 17% reported experiencing damage to their personal property. Nearly a third reported racial discrimination in education and employment, and nearly a fifth reported racial discrimination when looking for housing.

Racial discrimination in education was reported by around half of those who identified as Roma, Any other Black, Black Caribbean and Mixed White and Caribbean, with 44% of Gypsy/Traveller respondents saying the same. Some ethnic groups also reported high rates of discrimination from the police, including over a third of people from the Black Caribbean, Any Other Black, Roma and Gypsy/Traveller groups.

People from ethnic minority groups are subjected to racial discrimination from their neighbours and while going about their everyday lives. Between 40-50% of people from Black Caribbean, Any other Black, and White and Black Caribbean groups reported facing racist abuse while out shopping, in parks, cafes or restaurants or on public transport. Almost one in six people also experienced racial discrimination from their neighbours, but this rose to one in two Other Black people and one in three Gypsy/Traveller people.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese, Other Asian and Eastern European people reported an increase in experiences of racial discrimination relative to other ethnic minority groups, and some ethnic groups reported increased policing during the first year of the pandemic - one in three Gypsy/Traveller people, and one in five Roma and Chinese people had been stopped by the police in this period.

“The EVENS survey allows us to obtain a deeper understanding of the insidiousness and persistence of racial discrimination in the UK,” said Professor Laia Bécares, Professor of Social Science and Health at King’s College London. “We clearly document that there is a high level of racism in the UK which permeates all aspects of people’s everyday lives and impacts their health, wellbeing, and socioeconomic circumstances.”

“The innovative, robust survey techniques we used mean we have a larger dataset and detailed data on more ethnic and religious minority groups across a wider range of topics than ever before,” said Professor Nissa Finney, Professor of Human Geography at the University of St Andrews. “This makes our data a powerful tool for understanding, and reducing, ethnic and religious inequalities.”

“It can be easy to look back on the violent, explicit racism of earlier decades and think that racial discrimination is not a major problem in Britain today, but our data proves this idea wrong,” said Professor James Nazroo, Professor of Sociology at Swagֱ��. “Now we have this evidence, it is simply not acceptable to pretend racism does not exist and to carry on as before - EVENS is a wake-up call to make society fairer for everybody.”

EVENS is the most comprehensive survey of ethnic and religious inequalities for over 25 years, and was supported by the Economics and Social Research Council (ES/V013475/1 and ES/ W000849/1). It was produced in partnership with 13 voluntary, community and social enterprise groups.

Results from EVENS are available in a new book available in print, e-book and free pdf. The full will be made available in May.