BAME Networks

Hello! My name is Alicia; I’m a 4th year German & History student. I worked as a SMLC Black Student Network co-lead during the academic year 23/24 and am continuing my role for the academic year 25/26.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion is important to me, because when implemented correctly, it helps to create a sense of belonging for people from underrepresented backgrounds in higher education. I find it necessary to embrace DE&I in order to foster a culture in our department in which everyone feels welcome, heard, and supported.

To support inclusion in 23/24, we strengthened our social media presence to promote our events and initiatives, as well as improving outreach. In the coming year, I hope to continue to host events, and expand engagement beyond the SMLC by collaborating with relevant societies and networks in other departments. We also hope to expand on the comprehensive reading listLink opens in a new window developed by the network leads of 22/23.

As students ourselves, I feel that we are well placed to recognise and understand the needs of fellow students, allowing us to more effectively implement the changes to education that students feel are necessary to better foster an environment of inclusivity.

Hello! My name is Ofunne and I'm a 4th year Modern Languages (Spanish, Mandarin, and French) student. I was co-lead of the SMLC Black Student Network during the 2023/24 academic year and I'm excited to continue with the role in the upcoming year.

I believe that the Student Networks are an invaluable initiative as it's important that all students are able to feel supported and included in their respective departments, and that their identities do not act as a barrier to them making the most of their time at Warwick.

To support inclusion and realise the aims of the network, in 2023/24 we piloted a Year Abroad handbook project which involved collecting insight from students who had studied or worked abroad during their time at Warwick. This academic year, we hope to expand on this project, drawing from our own and our peers' personal experiences abroad, in the hopes that we can establish the project as a core part of future SMLC activity. We want to create lasting change within the department and ensure that future students can benefit from the work that we do during our time in this role.