Eon Kim: Decolonising in practice: lessons from a diversifying reading list pilot
Decolonising the curriculum has been widely discussed across HE, but what it means in day-to-day teaching is less clear. The idea, examining how colonialism, domination, imperialism, and racism have shaped academic knowledge and excluded non-Western voices in higher education, is well-established in theory (Mignolo, 2017; Stockdale and Sweeney, 2022). Yet I’ve wondered how well our everyday teaching materials reflect these ideas in practice, and how we might translate theory into everyday pedagogical work.
Adesewa Adebisi and Melville Nyatondo: Faces of Leadership: Black Scientists Shaping Cancer Research and Care (feat. Irene Nambuya, Emmanuel Okwelogu, Dr Kelechi Njoku)
Featuring Dr Kelechi Njoku, Irene Nambuya and Emmanuel Okwelogu. Representation in cancer research is essential for advancing progress and ensuring that discoveries benefit all communities. This Black History Month, we celebrate Black leaders at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre, highlighting their proudest moments, lessons learned, and hopes for the future.
Dr. Dominique Burrows: Black History Month is about honouring the past while shaping a more equitable future.
Growing up in the Bahamas, living in the United States, and now calling the UK home, my identity as a Black woman has been shaped by the places I’ve inhabited. Each country has shown me different ways of understanding race, gender, and what it means to belong. What hasn’t changed is the resilience I’ve needed to navigate systems that weren’t built with people like me in mind. Black History Month’s 2025 theme, Standing Firm in Power and Pride, speaks to something I know well: flourishing as a Black woman in higher education means carrying forward histories of struggle while celebrating the joy that comes from perseverance.
Sami Karamalla Gaiballa: Can AI Help Analyse Student Diversity Open Data?
There are open data sources about diversity of students – can AI analyse them for you? Spoiler: It cannot do it all for you, but it can certainly help reveal some insights into student diversity. In this blog post, I explain how.
Stephen Mccartney: Leading with Accessibility: A Vision for the University of Manchester
This blog post urges the University of Manchester to embrace accessibility as a mindset, not just a checklist. Drawing from his training, it highlights how inclusive design benefits everyone and calls for accessibility to be embedded in strategy, training, and collaboration. It encourages starting small and scaling impact, positioning the university as a leader in digital inclusion.
Nusrat Ahmed: South Asian Heritage Month
South Asian Heritage Month was launched at Manchester Museum in 2019. The month runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August each year where it seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian cultures, histories, and communities. Focussed events showcase the rich and proud South Asian heritage that has blended into the British way of life, contributing to the diversity of our nation. Observing South Asian Heritage Month provides us with excellent opportunities to embrace and celebrate the history and identity of British South Asians.
Beck Chamberlain Heslop: Bee-ing in Manchester as a non-binary person
When I first came to Manchester four years ago, it felt (pardon the cliché) different to any other place I had lived. On this day of non-binary visibility, I am reminded that we have so many allies. Along with Manchester’s trans and gender non-conforming community, they are the ones who make this city, and this university, feel like home for me.
Sylvia Masters: Sustainability – Reflections on Climate Action
As we continue to face bouts of extreme heat and sunshine followed by the inevitable rain and wind in Manchester and across the UK, it is difficult not to think of the climate crisis. In this blog, I reflect on set-backs and successes in climate action, to consider where we go from here. To achieve real progress, sustainability cannot be separated from equity and justice, it must be co-created and co-led by our communities, and it must radically reimagine growth.
Ameera Jamil: Why Charter Marks Matter—and How The University of Manchester is Leading the Way with EmilyTest
The EmilyTest Gender-Based Violence Charter, created in memory of Emily Drouet, pushes universities to ask: Would our policies have saved Emily’s life? This year, The University of Manchester joined the pilot, taking a proactive role in fostering safer campuses and adapting practices to new regulations.
Lizzy Cottrell: Fertility Journeys Staff Network
Infertility affects around 1 in 6 people of reproductive age. At our University, with roughly 12,000 employees, this equates to around 2,000 current staff members experiencing some form of fertility issue during their lifetime. The Fertility Journeys staff network has recently been established to support colleagues affected by fertility issues, providing a safe space for sharing experiences and raising awareness within the community.
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