Equality, diversity, and inclusion in History – Cultural awareness and sensitivity and British Universities studying slavery

Friday 4 December 2020, 10am - 3pm

Online

Event contact: Catalyst-admin@st-andrews.ac.uk  

Registrations have now closed.

This event comprises two complementary workshops:

In the morning, Lenna Cumberbatch of the University of St Andrews will lead a session on ‘Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity – responding to inappropriate behaviour’.  This short course is a highly interactive session providing specific advice and guidance on managing a variety of situations where inappropriate language or behaviour occur.  Education of and awareness raising about cultural perspectives will be a core component of this workshop.  Definitions of terms and relevant language will be provided along with real world case studies to work through in a safe and inclusive environment.

Learning outcomes: 

• A better understanding of the terms used in  equality, diversity and inclusion
• A greater awareness of and sensitivity to cultures which differ from our own
• Enhance the skills required to recognise and address inappropriate behaviour
• Methods with which to conduct discussions about sensitive topics

In the afternoon, Stephen Mullen of the University of Glasgow will lead a session on 'British Universities Studying Slavery: The University of Glasgow case'.  On 16 September 2018, the University of Glasgow released the report ‘Slavery, Abolition and the University of Glasgow’ that acknowledged slave-owners, merchants and planters with connections to New World slavery – and their descendants – donated capital between 1697 and 1937 that influenced the development of the institution. In doing so, the institution became the first British university to declare historical income derived from transatlantic slavery. In response to the report, a nine-point programme of reparative justice was launched, the first British university to launch a project on such a scale. This paper discusses ‘The University of Glasgow Model of Institutional Slavery Income’; insights into the research methodology and analysis, the challenges when co-ordinating such a project, as well as the public engagement with findings. This discussion will inform the approaches of researchers studying the effects of slavery and its legacies in British institutions and the effects on society more broadly.

First published: 19 November 2020