University to launch Race Institute at annual Race, Equity and Social Justice Conference

Leeds Trinity University is to launch its first Race Institute at its annual Race, Equity and Social Justice conference – Reimagining and insights into connecting education and health equity in the digital age – taking place on Wednesday 22 May.

The full day conference will see hundreds of professionals and the public descend to their Main Campus in Horsforth to hear from guest speakers, take part in workshops and enjoy the programmed entertainment. The conference is an opportunity for anyone wanting to gain a greater understanding and awareness of anti-racism and to make a difference in their workplace and communities.

The new Race Institute is part of Leeds Trinity’s overall ambition to become a leading anti-racist establishment, paving the way for others to do the same on a national scale by bringing together organisations from the private, public and voluntary sectors.

It emerged from Leeds Trinity’s race equity work which enabled the establishment to become the first University in Yorkshire to achieve the Race Equality Charter Bronze award in 2020, with a focus to keep anti-racism on the national agenda and enable sustained transformational change.

Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University, (pictured) said: “Our Race Institute is an outward facing entity that will set the tone for our work on race, be a national thought leader, deliver our flagship conferences, and collaborate with organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors to deliver a colloquium series, Continuing Professional Development (CPD), research and knowledge exchange activities.”

The Race Institute is led by the director, Nadira Mirza, (pictured) Professor of Lifelong Learning and Social Mobility, and Associate Director, Dr Shames Maskeen. The Race Institute will build on Leeds Trinity’s existing work and will also consolidate and strengthen the University’s mission to reflect the diverse communities and stakeholders it serves.

Professor Nadira Mirza, said: “I am delighted to be launching Leeds Trinity University’s Race Institute. The institute will take a strategic approach in addressing race and ethnic inequalities by bringing together and collaborating with organisations in the public, voluntary and private sectors. This will be achieved by applied inter-disciplinary research and knowledge exchange activities such as this conference.”

Leeds Trinity University’s fifth Race, Equity and Social Justice conference titled Reimagining and insights into connecting education and health equity in the digital age is free to attend and includes a host of professional speakers, workshops and opportunities to network.

This year’s speakers include John Wright, director and chief investigator at the Bradford Institute for Health Research and Born in Bradford; Heidi Safia Mirza, emeritus professor of equality studies in Education at UCL Institute of Education; Habib Naqvi, chief executive at NHS Race and Health Observatory; and Rachel C. Boyle, dean of education at Leeds Beckett University.

Dr Shames Maskeen, associate director of The Race Institute, co-chair of the University’s Race Equality Charter Partnership, and lecturer in Psychology at Leeds Trinity University, said: “We know that racism manifests itself in many ways from tokenistic statements of solidarity, poor leadership to health disparities, inequitable educational outcomes, and digital inequalities. The Race Institute and conference will raise and address some of the contemporary issues challenging those working in the education, health and digital sectors.

“The conference is aimed at anyone interested in anti-racism, race, equity and social justice. Those studying and working in education, health, digital and the community will find this conference of particular interest. This conference is an opportunity to hear eminent speakers discuss intersectional topics to gain a greater understanding and awareness of anti-racism and an opportunity to co-design strategies to address known problems.”

For more information and to book a free place at the conference, visit the Leeds Trinity University website.