inVISIBLE Conference
What is project inVISIBLE??
inVISIBLE is an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion project targeted at celebrating the work and achievements of ethnic minorities so as to promote their visibility in research communities and the wider public. The project is managed by Maria Kariuki of the Warwick Black Chemistry Society and kindly sponsored by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the UKRI via Warwick Enhancing Research Culture Fund and the Institute of Advanced Study.
Conference speakers
What are the project initiatives?
Research Conference
In July 2022, a three-day research and diversity conference was hosted at the University of Warwick featuring 53 presenters (49 from ethnic minority backgrounds) and approximately 100 attendees over the three events.
Amongst the presenters were two keynote professors who are EDI pioneers:
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Professor Kalwant Bhopal (Birmingham University), an accomplished race equality author.
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Professor Robert Mokaya (Nottingham University), a board member of the RSC and UK’s only black Chemistry professor.
Key Outcomes
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The conference featured talks from a variety of EDI champions who provided necessary knowledge and awareness on issues concerning different marginalised groups. Attendees felt more informed on the challenges experienced by different minority groups and felt challenged to address inequality gaps in HE.
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Improving research leadership skills and improving access to and participation in research. The conference was to the first to provide ethnic minority researchers with an opportunity to talk about and promote their research. In addition, the interdisciplinary nature of the events was also a good networking opportunity that fostered collaborations amongst our presenters and/or audience. Presenters felt valued and represented, and all expressed the need to hold an annual event of this kind.
Conference speakers
Next Steps
Yearbook (coming soon):
An institutional yearbook featuring the profiles of ethnic minority students and staff to celebrate them and promote their visibility.
It is hoped that the yearbook will provide ethnic minorities with an elevated sense of belonging by highlighting them as an integral community within the university.
Principal Investigator:
Maria Kariuki, Institute of Advanced Study