Ethnic Minorities’ Perceptions of Studying and Working in York

Workshop ‘Ethnic Minorities’ Perceptions of Studying and Working in York’

On 11 January 2017, Dr Jude Parks, Senior Lecturer Human Geography, Dr Sarah Lawson-Welsh, Associate Professor in English and Postcolonial Literatures, and I ran a workshop on ‘Ethnic minorities’ perceptions of studying and working in York’. The workshop attracted 32 participants from a range of public, private and third sector organisations based in and around York, including BME, faith and refugee groups, Make it York, North Yorkshire Police, City of York Council, and staff, students and alumni from both universities. The workshop was made possible with Catalyst funding.

Keynote speakers were Dr Janaka Jayawickrama, Lecturer in Community Wellbeing and Programme Leader MSc in International Humanitarian Affairs, University of York, and Hauwa Aliyu Ahmadu who recently graduated from York St John with an English Literature degree. Janaka spoke about the importance of mutual respect and discourse which form the basis for friendship, while Hauwa talked about developing a sense of belonging at York St John by getting involved with projects. Following a lively discussion which yielded a wealth of research themes, Professor Sebastian Kim delivered the closing address in which he celebrated the richness of experience and dialogue when people with diverse backgrounds live, study and work together, and highlighted the importance of connecting research with people’s real-lived experiences.

Following the workshop we have developed a research proposal to better understand the factors contributing to the under-representation of Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people among YSJU’s student and staff body.

Download full report: Workshop report Ethnic Minorities Perceptions of Studying and Working in York FINAL February 2017.

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