#UniForReading: University invites community voices to discuss race

Members of the local community, as well as University staff and students, are being invited to an open discussion about race, hosted by the University of Reading.

The Community Voices online event is taking place on Thursday 18 March, 1-2pm, where a panel of colleagues, students and community partners will talk openly about their own lived experiences of race.

The online event is the first in a series seeking to broaden conversations about critical issues that affect people's lives in Reading and beyond. It is part of the University's renewed focus to use its skills and resources to engage with people outside its campuses, for the benefit of families, community groups and businesses across the region - strengthening its role as ‘the University for Reading'.

The panel will include:

• Nieema Hassan, co-founder of Untold Ltd, a platform to share stories and perspectives on issues that affect marginalised groups in society. Nieema was involved in organising the Black Lives Matter protests in Reading and is working with Thames Valley Police on a project to improve equality, diversity and inclusion within the police force.
• Alice Mpofu-Coles, a PhD candidate in Human Geography at the University of Reading. Her research is on identity and transnational activities among young immigrants in the UK. Alice also works as a community researcher and activist, advocating and portraying a more positive image of refugees, people of colour and women.
• Aleiah Potter (Chair), Events Manager at the University of Reading and a member of the BAME Steering Committee of the University's BAME Network.
• Professor Parveen Yaqoob, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Innovation at the University of Reading and the University's first female and first non-white Deputy Vice-Chancellor. Among her responsibilities, she chairs the University's Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board and is leading the University's Race Equality Review.

The event is being organised by the University's Commercial Function and is the first external event organised by the function's recently formed Inclusion and Diversity Steering Group.

Susan Matos, Director of the Knowledge Transfer Centre at the University of Reading, said: "Our relationships with the local community are very important to us and we want to improve our engagement with different groups. These talks will be a great opportunity to invite in the community and listen to their perspectives on a variety of topics."

Professor Yaqoob said: "Deeper engagement with the wider world, and putting our community at the heart of everything we do, are among our most important University principles, so I am delighted to be taking part in this open discussion with colleagues, students and the wider community. It is important that we come together to discuss the issues that matter to us all.

"The issue of race equality, in higher education and beyond, is a priority for the University right now, as we strive to make our institution a fairer place to work, live and study."

In June 2020, in response to compelling calls from within and beyond the University for faster action on racial equality, the University of Reading commissioned a Race Equality Review. Led by Professor Yaqoob and the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Dr Allan Laville, the review aims to better understand the issues for both staff and students at the University, and explore what more can be done to improve race equality. The Race Equality Review will be published later in 2021.

The next Community Voices event will take place next term and will be focused on issues facing the LGBTQ+ community in Reading and beyond.

For more information on Thursday's event, and to book a place, please click here.