Projects
Please see the list of our projects below.
The Black Scholarship Collective - Pathways to Higher Degrees
(Ongoing Project)
Strength, Courage and Wisdom - The Journey and Experiences of Black PhD Students in UK Academia
The ground breaking Leading Routes Broken Pipeline Report highlighted the struggle that Black graduates have in accessing funding to undertake PhD research in the UK. One of the striking things that the report has brought to the fore is that we know next to nothing about the lived experiences of Black students who have undertaken doctoral studies. This project (led by the Black Scholarship Collective details below) and accompanying call for contributions led by Black PhD students and supported by Black academics aims to change this state of affairs.
It will document the rich and varied experiences of Black postgraduate students at all points along the doctoral process with the focus being on giving voice, recognition and ultimately representation in the policy environment to this brilliant but rarely heard from group of students and future scholars. We hope that the completed project will be a positive resource that will benefit the wider community.
The project will produce a publication consisting of student experiences at different points along their doctoral journey. We will also produce a series of online videos, where students will talk about their experiences that they have had as Black students in UK academia.
To commence the project we are seeking 100 word biographies and abstracts of 150 to 200 words from any Black postgraduate student who has contemplated, embarked upon, is currently studying or who has recently completed Doctoral Studies in the UK. (within the last 5 years).
The abstract should outline the key themes of your experience that you would like to write/talk about that you will turn into a 1500 word essay. (If your abstract is not selected to be developed into one of the published essays, we would still like to share your experience for the online video series).
Suggested themes include:
Your experience of embarking on the application process (choice of institution, supervisor, funding options available to you)
Your experience of University support mechanisms as a student ( departmental support, Supervisor relationship, mentoring, development opportunities or lack of.)
Your experience of success (what enabled you to complete the process, what lessons would you like to share with prospective students ?)
Your experience of struggle including non-completion or deciding not to undertake doctoral work (what barriers did you face? How did you deal/not deal with them at the time?)
Your experience of the academic environment and the culture of the institution in which you undertook your studies.
Your experience of life outside the University (How did your external relationships, family, friends community impact on your studies?)
Your experience of life after the PhD ( what are you doing now, if you recently completed, or if you stopped studying for any reason, what life lessons have you learnt from the process?)
As stated we are seeking a range of experiences from across the spectrum of the Black postgraduate community.
If you have a story to tell, we would like to hear it and include it in our project. We understand that some potential participants who have valuable stories to tell may not wish to be publicly identified, we recognise this and will protect their anonymity in any publication if so desired.
Biographies and abstracts should be sent to BSc2PhD@gmail.com by Monday 26th October.
The Pathways to PhD project is collaboratively co-ordinated by the Black Scholarship Collective whose members are:
Jacqueline Darkwa, Science Creative London
De-Shaine Murray, PhD Candidate Imperial College, London
Madina Wane, PhD Candidate Imperial College, London
William Ackah, Birkbeck, University of London
Jason Arday, Durham University (on behalf of Leading Routes)
Gabriella Beckles-Raymond, Independent Researcher and Strategic Consultant, Beckles-Raymond Ltd
Wayne Mitchell, Imperial College London