Through the Looking Glass: Breaking Barriers in STEM

Shaping Inclusivity in STEM through Action

A report from the University and College Union found in 2016-17 academic year there were only 25 Black female professors in the UK compared to 14,000 White males. Disabled academic staff members reported feeling “intense isolation” within the university environments, whilst 89% of LGBTQ+ students felt there was a need for peer support in university. These descriptors – gender, ethnicity, sexuality – may be used to build parts of our personal identities, but they should not be the basis for inequity, discrimination, or poor mental health. With 86% of PhD students in the UK reporting feeling some level of anxiety (2019), changes need to be made to create a community and foster an environment in STEM that is as diverse as our areas of research.

SULSA and its partners, want everyone in Life Sciences and STEM subjects to feel seen and represented, and want to build a more diverse community than we currently have. With this in mind, we present Breaking Barriers in STEM: Through the Looking Glass, an action-orientated event to explore where the issues lie and identify actions to take forward to tackle these.

The event is in two parts, for the first we have four, exceptional, early career panellists who will give an account of their career path to date, and some of the experiences and challenges they have had working in STEM. This panel session will be introduced by Richard Lochhead (MSP). We hope that this session will serve to bring an awareness of challenges faced by specific groups within our community. After a short lunch break we will work in breakout groups to discuss 4 key topics and possible solutions. We hope to come away from today with a set of valuable actions that SULSA and our partners can take forward.

You are welcome to join us for both or either session. Anyone attending this event must follow the code of conduct described here to ensure a welcoming and safe environment for open discussion.

Registrations are closed

Through the Looking Glass - Breaking Barriers in STEM