EDI Conference Keynotes

As an ongoing resource, we are capturing all the EDI keynote presentations here; please use this page for information and inspiration, and feel free to share it with others.

November 2025

Professor Emmanuel Adukwu | Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum, University of the West of England, Bristol

Creating Inclusive Research Cultures in Doctoral Education

Professor Emmanuel Adukwu is Dean for Students at UWE Bristol, with a focus on student experience and outcomes for Global Majority students, a role which he took up in September 2025.

At UWE Bristol, he has held a number of senior positions including Director of Studies for Research and widening participation and employability lead. Beyond the university, he has served on national and international committees promoting accessible and inclusive education and research, and maximising opportunities for students globally.

Emmanuel recently led the creation of the Minoritised Life Scientists Future Forum (MLSFF) to enable pipeline development of marginalised groups in STEM across the UK and Europe. He was previously named the Royal Society of Biology Bioscience Teacher of the Year in recognition of his innovative and inclusive teaching practices, dedication to personal development and commitment to supporting colleagues within and beyond UWE Bristol.

Download Professor Adukwu’s slides

Professor Lisa-Dionne Morris | University of Leeds

Beyond Academia, Toward Equity: Inclusive Career Pathways for Postgraduate Researchers

Professor Lisa-Dionne Morris (LDM) is a design engineer turned academic leader advancing capability-driven design and equity in STEM. Professor of Public & Industry Understanding of Capability-Driven Design at the University of Leeds, she bridges industry and academia, modernising curricula, mentoring talent, and translating research into innovation. Promoted in 2022 as the UK’s 41st Black female professor, she founded and leads the Black Female Academics’ Network (BFAN). LDM serves as Director for Internationalisation (FEPS), Vice-Chair at UTC Leeds, and Executive Chief Examiner for IB Design Technology. A global visiting professor at 6 international universities, researcher and educator, she champions inclusive pipelines and pathways into impactful careers.

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November 2024

Professor Tina Ramkalawan | Director of the Graduate School, Brunel University of London | Trustee of UKCGE

Visible Invisibility and Other Emerging Superpowers in a Diverse Academy

Tina Ramkalawan is Director of the Graduate School and Professor at Brunel University of London, responsible for doctoral and post-doctoral researcher development across the institution. She also leads the Brunel Integrated PhD programme. Tina has an interdisciplinary academic background in psychology, health & medical research. Her own doctoral research at the MRC Institute of Hearing Research, University of Nottingham, contributed to the establishment of the UK NHS Newborn Hearing Screening Programme. Tina has worked in academia for over 25 years, at universities including Nottingham Trent University, University College London and Bristol University. She has initiated and managed doctoral and post-doctoral programmes for funders including the MRC and EPSRC. She is a chartered psychologist and a qualified coach and mentor, and has previously served as a co-opted member of the UKCGE Executive Committee.

Tina was elected as Vice-Chair of UKCGE in March 2025.

Professor Ramkalawan reflects on ‘Visible Invisibility and Other Emerging Superpowers in a Diverse Academy'

I was delighted to be invited to open the UKCGE’s second annual PGR EDI conference in Brighton, with my keynote reflections entitled ‘Visible Invisibility and Other Emerging Superpowers in a Diverse Academy.’ In reviewing elements of 30 years in the Academy, I wanted to explore the incongruity of being both visible and invisible, as a Black British female academic, within a sector that prides itself on its diversity and espouses principles of equity, diversity and inclusion throughout its activities and strategies.

A pause to reflect and question sources about Higher Education 30 years ago revealed, at that time, an increased focus on marketing and corporate success, fears about threats to the humanities, and a rise in instrumentalism (a view of higher education as a means to an end rather than as an end in itself). Prevalent in discourse was also reference to persistent disparities in access to higher education, marked by race, gender, social class, and academic credentials. How much of this still sounds relevant to us now, 30 years later?

Through personal stories and anecdotes, I explored utilising invisibility to gain access to selectively shared information and different perspectives. I considered how it extends, as a disadvantage, to various groups within the Academy, and present ‘superpowers’ proposed by Black researchers in conversation. A few key points are summarised below.

There is a continued need for nuance in considering issues as they affect Black people within the Academy, recognising that the umbrella terms homogenise us. They mask huge ‘within-category’ intersectional diversity, and differences in cultural and educational pathways, expectations, and consequently experiences within the sector. For example, differentiating between Black UK-domiciled and international researchers is still relevant and important.

Being ‘the only one’ in a succession of spaces has been an unwelcome norm from the start, exaggerating difference and isolation. From being the only Black student in my year on my course, one of four in a large academic faculty, to being the only research council funded Black doctoral candidate in my research institute. A pattern continuing through subsequent roles. All preceded by the stark warning from my peers that University ‘is simply not a space where we belong’.

Notably, Black professors still hover beneath 1% of the total number of professors (Advance HE staff statistics, 2024), and Black female academics are particularly under-represented at senior levels (directors, readers and professors).

With (gender and ethnicity) differences simply ignored, an overarching sense of invisibility prevailed, amidst regular reminders that invisible conversations surround pathways of progression, especially in relation to doctoral and post-doctoral opportunities.

Early on, as a new doctoral researcher, my attention was drawn to the over-representation of Black staff in the essential roles that sustain and support the business of the university – ‘ancillary’ staff working in areas such as catering, cleaning and security, who are critical to maintaining the university environment and form a constant by overlooked presence. Our visibility in those areas a stark contrast to our invisibility in academic and professional services leadership and management. Ironically, it was these individuals who provided a sustaining (and invisible) sense of community and support for me and other Black students within the university.

University staff often wear multiple hats, and their quiet contributions to sustaining community and connection can underappreciated. As they were 30 years ago, they are today, often an invisible part of our Higher Education eco-systems. Amongst them are the family and friends of students, and often the students themselves. Staff titles / roles often mask a wealth of experience and expertise, information and support.

Invisibility afforded me, at times, a kind of ‘superpower’ whereby, being unseen and underestimated permitted quiet absorption of information, broad networking, and unexpected connections. Rather than dealing with the systemic issues that are known to compromise our well-being and limit progression, are we simply pushed to develop more and more superpowers in order to cope? I informally asked a group of Black researchers what ‘superpowers’ they might choose to navigate the Academy; they identified:

- ‘shapeshifting’ – the ability to alter who they are to fit into different environments, as they had no sense of the academy shifting to accommodate them.

- enhanced senses to anticipate danger and afford protection.

- x‑ray vision to penetrate the opaque and circumvent gatekeeping in all the different ways it manifests to keep us out, and finally,

- mental super strength with an ability to regenerate and heal.

But no superpower renders complete invincibility, and these thoughts seemed to be framed by the profound potential impact of experiences on mental health and wellbeing, despite the progression of stronger understanding and awareness, and structured support.

In conclusion, how much progress and change has there been, and what role has sector complacency played? Are we still dabbling around the edges of embedded EDI issues? What about the limitations of our imposed visible invisibility? How inclusive and appreciative are we of all those communities who quietly contribute to the successes of our institutions?

Louise Banahene MBE | Director of Educational Engagement and Student Success, University of Leeds

Identity and inequity: building access to, and participation, in postgraduate research through a multi-faceted lens

Louise Banahene PFHEA MBE is the Director of Educational Engagement and Student Success at University of Leeds. Louise is an experienced higher education leader with a focus on equity, access, and inclusion in student journeys. Her experience led her to be awarded an MBE in 2018 for services to Higher Education. She was awarded the Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy in 2021.

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November 2023

Professor Jason Arday | Professor of Sociology of Education, University of Cambridge

There we were… Now here we are: Exploring Race and Higher Education

Professor Arday is the 2002 Professorial Chair in the Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education. Previously Jason was Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Glasgow in the School of Education College of Social Sciences.

Professor Arday has also held the position of Associate Professor in Sociology at Durham University in the Department of Sociology and Deputy Executive Dean for People and Culture in the Faculty of Social Science and Health. He is a Visiting Professor at The Ohio State University in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion University of Glasgow in the School of Education and an Honorary Professor at Durham University in the Department of Sociology.

He is a Trustee of the Runnymede Trust the UK’s leading Race Equality Thinktank and the British Sociological Association (BSA). Jason sits on the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS) National Advisory Panel the NHS Race and Health Observatory Academic Reference Group and the ITV Cultural Advisory Council.

Professor Arday’s research focuses on the areas of race and higher education intersectionality and education mental health and education neurodiversity and cultural studies.

Dr Christine Edwards-Leis | Associate Professor — Education, St Mary’s University

Call and Response: Inclusive approaches to supervision (presented with and Dr Julie Spencer, Principal, ArtsEd)

Christine holds degrees in Business and Education and has worked in business and educational settings in Australia and England. Her research interests focus on how individuals learn and she has researched, presented and published on aspects of learning in design and technology, mathematics and teacher education. Christine is particularly interested in how individuals manage to investigate and solve problems in unique situations: her doctoral work on mental model theory has informed much of her teaching and research. She is presently the post-graduate research lead for the School of Education at St Mary’s University and manages the EdD: Professional Doctorate in Education. She leads the Pedagogy Special Interest Group and is the editor of ReflectED: St Mary’s Journal of Education. Her current project is editing a text on Pedagogy in Higher Education which brings novice and experienced scholars from the UK and international locations together in a shared writing space. Christine is also conducting research on the experiences of the text authors to better understand the value of community writing spaces. Her doctoral research supervision encompasses projects which advance learning in diverse educational settings and creative industries.

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Dr Maria Augusta Arruda | Director, Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory — LNBio

From power-hoarding to power-sharing: why do we need diversity for a healthier research culture

Maria Augusta Arruda is Director of the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory, part of the National Centre for Research in Energy and Materials (LNBIO-CNPEM), where she leads research groups that employ cutting-edge integrative biology experimental approaches to themes spanning from fundamental biology to host-pathogen interactions to drug discovery. She spent 12 years at the University of Nottingham across several roles, from creating and leading the Brazil-Nottingham Drug Discovery Partnership to supporting the University’s strategic relationship with UKRI to, more recently, being their Head of Researcher Development and Chair of their Race Equity Network. Maria Augusta holds a BSc. and PhD in Pharmacology and has almost 30 years of experience in academic and non-academic research environments, during which she has implemented Research Culture interventions for high performance in Science. Maria Augusta is an Affiliate Fellow of the University of Cambridge’s Robinson College and Elected Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society.