• Professors Without Borders has published the report for its second virtual conference.
• The report presents the findings from two-panel discussions. Black In The Ivory: Understanding the Black Experience in Higher Education and Intersectionality: The Dual Barriers of Racism and Sexism.

The report aims to disseminate information on how institutions of higher education can dismantle visible and invisible barriers for Black Academics to increase minority representation, impact, and opportunities at universities worldwide.

Read the report here.

Watch the full conference here.

PROFESSORS WITHOUT BORDERS (PROWIBO) PRESS RELEASE 11th December, 2020 | London

How to Dismantle Barriers Faced By Black Talent in Academia

In the UK, fewer than one percent of university professors are Black. In the United States, about ten percent of academics are Black, with the numbers thinning as you travel up the academic ladder. The numerical minority of Black academics has led to consistent exclusion, marginalisation, and a signal that their ideas are not equally valuable in academia. Such pervasive marginalisation of any group is detrimental to research and the academic experience for educators and students. 

The conference invited Black members of the academic community to shine a light on their higher education experience and share the impact of under-representation and discrimination on their research and career aspirations. The first panel, ‘Black In The Ivory: Understanding the Black Experience in Higher Education,’ aimed to identify and resolve discrimination issues in higher education institutions. The panel was composed of an array of higher education faculty from around the world.

The second panel, ‘Intersectionality: The Dual Barriers of Racism and Sexism, ’ examined how gender and race bias hinder academic progression. The panel featured women in a variety of occupations from three different continents.

The conference took place online on the 28th of August at 1400 BST.