[CODATA-international] Open Letter on “Racism in UK Universities”

KE FRAOUA fraoua at u-pem.fr
Sun Mar 19 12:25:58 EDT 2023


Dear Colleagues,

This is a major problem that we must fight. We recently conducted a 
survey in France on this subject and we are all concerned by this problem.

Let me know if I can share this letter on Linkedin.

Best regards

Karim Elia Fraoua


Le 19/03/2023 à 16:46, Prabir G Dastidar a écrit :
> Surely it is a matter of great concern! Our moral support will be with 
> you. Don’t leave it just like that. This may not be an isolated incident!
> Best wishes to your endeavour.
> Prabir
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On 19-Mar-2023, at 11:36 AM, Suchith Anand 
>> <Suchith.Anand at nottingham.ac.uk> wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> Dear colleagues
>>
>>
>> I came across the following articles
>>
>>
>> The Guardian article that Anti-Slavery Society was founded 200 years 
>> ago (in 1823)
>>
>> https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/30/britain-abolition-slavery-society-200-years-radical- 
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/30/britain-abolition-slavery-society-200-years-radical->
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> UK universities are institutionally racist, says leading vice-chancellor
>>
>> https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/apr/28/uk-universities-are-institutionally-racist-says-leading-vice-chancellor 
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/apr/28/uk-universities-are-institutionally-racist-says-leading-vice-chancellor>
>>
>>
>> Tackling racism on campus: Raising awareness and creating the 
>> conditions for confident conversations
>>
>> https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/tackling-racism-campus 
>> <https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/tackling-racism-campus>
>>
>>
>>
>> Thousands of Black and minority ethnic (BAME) staff and students are 
>> suffering racial discrimination in silence for many years in many UK 
>> universities. It is so sad and disappointing to hear about the scale 
>> of racial discrimination experiences from BAME colleagues. It is very 
>> alarming to also hear from them the steps taken for covering up of 
>> racial discrimination complaints by their university managements. 
>> This is very worrying especially for BAME staff who are on temporary 
>> work visa sponsored by the University employer. Some of these junior 
>> researchers are suffering in silence as they are threatened by their 
>> management staff that they will sack them and revoke their 
>> sponsorship if they speak about their racial discrimination experiences.
>>
>>
>> Is this some kind of “modern slavery” of Black and minority ethnic 
>> staff and students in UK universities?
>>
>>
>> Why is some University Senior Staff/Managers using their sponsorship 
>> of visa as a tool to exploit BAME staff and students?
>>
>>
>>
>> All staff raising racial discrimination complaints or informing about 
>> any cover up of racial discrimination complaints by anyone in the 
>> management in any UK university needs to be protected. Whistleblowing 
>> Awareness Week (20th – 24th March) details at
>>
>> https://www.wbuk.org/news/whistleblowing-awareness-week-update-20th-24th-march 
>> <https://www.wbuk.org/news/whistleblowing-awareness-week-update-20th-24th-march>
>>
>>
>>
>> All senior managers of all universities in the UK have duty to adhere 
>> to the Equality Act 2010 and protect human rights of all staff and 
>> students.Details at 
>> https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents 
>> <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” is a Sanskrit phrase which means "The World 
>> Is One Family".
>>
>>
>> Let’s build a world beyond racism and discrimination, where we all 
>> exercise our human rights. Be a human rights champion!
>>
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>>
>> Suchith
>>
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> *From:* Suchith Anand
>> *Sent:* 14 March 2023 08:48
>> *Subject:*Open Letter on “Racism in UK Universities”
>>
>> Dear colleagues,
>>
>>
>> I have send anOpen Letter on “Racism in UK Universities” to the Vice 
>> Chancellors of UK universities, Research Funders, International 
>> Science Council, Russell Group, Universities UK to look into the 
>> issue of racial discrimination happening in  many universities in the 
>> UK as it is affecting thousands of Black and minority ethnic (BAME) 
>> staff and students.
>>
>>
>> I feel that I have a moral duty to be the voice of thousands of BAME 
>> staff and students suffering racial discrimination in silence in 
>> various UK universities hence I shared my experiences with the 
>> International Science Council, Research Funders as this is in the 
>> public interest. Even if anyone tries to raise a racial 
>> discrimination complaint , it is of no use as the management will do 
>> everything to cover up.
>>
>>
>> All senior managers of universities in the UK have duty to adhere to 
>> the Equality Act 2010 and protect human rights. Details at 
>> https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents 
>> <https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents>
>>
>>
>>
>> May I bring to your kind attention the Nature article published on “ 
>> How UK science is failing Black researchers — in nine stark charts". 
>> By Elizabeth Gibney (published 14 Dec 2022) at 
>> https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-022-04386-w/index.html 
>> <https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-022-04386-w/index.html>
>>
>>
>> Data shows that the representation of scientists from marginalized 
>> ethnicities dwindles at each stage of the UK academia highlighting 
>> the fact that structural racism is widespread in many universities in 
>> the UK. It is very disappointing to read about the scale of racial 
>> discrimination in some of the universities in the UK.
>>
>>
>> Systemic racism is a wider problem affecting BAME staff and students. 
>> For example, this article in Guardian (dated 12 Dec 2022) gives 
>> example of racial discrimination faced by a BAME academic at a UK 
>> university.
>>
>>
>> https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/dec/12/portsmouth-university-loses-discrimination-case-against-indian-lecturer-kajal-sharma 
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/dec/12/portsmouth-university-loses-discrimination-case-against-indian-lecturer-kajal-sharma>
>>
>>
>> Another article in the Guardian - More than 120,000 workers from 
>> minority ethnic backgrounds have quit their jobs because of racism, 
>> suggests a landmark study that has found workplace discrimination is 
>> sapping the confidence of a large part of the UK workforce.
>>
>> Details at 
>> https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/01/more-than-120000-workers-quit-jobs-because-of-racism-uk-study-suggests 
>> <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/01/more-than-120000-workers-quit-jobs-because-of-racism-uk-study-suggests>
>>
>> It is disappointing to learn about the scale of Racial discrimination 
>> in some UK work environments. This made me realise that the Racial 
>> Injustices that I had faced are part of a much wider issue affecting 
>> Black and Minority Ethnic staff and students.  Without adequate 
>> action from employers the pervasiveness of racism increases.
>>
>>
>>
>> Racial discrimination is illegal as per the UK law but still it is 
>> sad fact that thousands of BAME researchers (especially working in 
>> junior level) are suffering racial discrimination in silence for many 
>> years in many UK universities . There is a huge pressure to hide 
>> Racial Injustice under the carpet and silence colleagues who raise 
>> these issues.
>>
>>
>>
>> I am grateful to International Science Council for the supporting my 
>> work for GeoForAll and encouraging me to share my racial 
>> discrimination experiences through the International Science Council 
>> interview so in future colleagues don’t suffer Racism.  Details at 
>> https://council.science/current/blog/no-problem-is-too-big-combating-discrimination-in-geospatial-science/ 
>> <https://council.science/current/blog/no-problem-is-too-big-combating-discrimination-in-geospatial-science/>
>>
>>
>> Following my interview with the International Science Council , I had 
>> many BAME colleagues across various universities in UK contacting me 
>> and thanking me for showing the courage to speak out on Racism and 
>> giving them hope. It is so sad and disappointing to hear the scale of 
>> racial discrimination experiences from BAME colleagues . It is very 
>> alarming to also hear from them the steps taken for covering up of 
>> racial discrimination complaints by their university managements. 
>> This is very worrying especially for BAME staff who are on temporary 
>> work visa sponsored by the University employer. Some of these junior 
>> researchers are suffering in silence as they are threatened by their 
>> management staff  that they will sack them and revoke their 
>> sponsorship if they speak about their racial discrimination 
>> experiences.  Is this some kind of “modern slavery” of Black and 
>> minority ethnicresearchers in UK universities?  Why is some 
>> University Senior Staff/Managers using their sponsorship of visa as a 
>> tool to exploit BAME staff?
>>
>>
>> As per the UK law, all employers and senior management staff of all 
>> UK universities have responsibility to adhere to the Equality Act 
>> 2010 and protect human rights. Any UK university employee (even if 
>> they are senior management )  if they are trying to cover up racial 
>> discrimination complaints then they are also acting against the UK law.
>>
>>
>> I request that the UK Government Department for Science, Innovation & 
>> Technology , UKRI, The International Science Council, Research 
>> Funders, Equality and Human Rights Commission to please look into 
>> racial discrimination happening in universities in the UK as it is 
>> affecting thousands of BAME staff and students.
>>
>>
>>
>> I request the University vice-chancellors and senior management in 
>> all UK Universities to please consider my humble request for 
>> providing new 100 full scholarships per year at each UK university 
>> forstudents from economically poor families and first-generation 
>> students.
>>
>>
>> /“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”//Mahatma Gandhi/
>>
>>
>>
>> Please see my open letters at
>>
>>
>> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thank-you-your-support-edi-scholarships-initiative-suchith-anand/ 
>> <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thank-you-your-support-edi-scholarships-initiative-suchith-anand/>
>>
>>
>> https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-letter-requesting-edi-scholarships-all-uk-suchith-anand/ 
>> <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-letter-requesting-edi-scholarships-all-uk-suchith-anand/>
>>
>>
>> //
>>
>>
>> Let’s build a world beyond racism and discrimination, where we all 
>> exercise our human rights. Be a human rights champion!
>>
>>
>> Best wishes
>>
>>
>> Suchith
>>
>>
>>
>> Dr Suchith Anand
>>
>> Senior Adviser to Governments and International Organisations | 
>> Scientist | Board member | Governance | Policy | Consultant in Data 
>> Science and Data Ethics | Global Citizen | SDG Volunteer and Advocate
>>
>>
>> https://council.science/profile/suchith-anand/ 
>> <https://council.science/profile/suchith-anand/>
>>
>> https://www.rd-alliance.org/users/suchith-anand 
>> <https://www.rd-alliance.org/users/suchith-anand>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
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>>
>>
>>
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