Network to end ‘isolation’ of black PhD students

A Warwick University student has helped set up a national network aimed at helping black and ethnic minority PhD students.

The network was co-founded by Warwick postgraduate student Monique Charles and Antoinette Keegan of Queen Mary University, who wanted to combat the ‘isolation’ of black scholars.

Ms Charles said: “Hopefully this new network will challenge any negative stereotypes of black and minority ethnic people and show that they can be successful academics.”

Charles and Keegan’s network will be the first in the UK that supports black postdoctoral students. It will be linked with the US-based Black Doctoral Network.

The pair decided to set up the national network after visiting the annual conference of the Black Doctoral Network in Pennsylvania in October 2013.

The UK network is designed to offer mentoring and advice about scholarships and grants. Black students will also have access to an online networking space where members can meet and hold events.

Deborah Gabriel, founder of Black British Academics, said that there is “a lack of cultural diversity” in academia which

Ms Gabriel added: “A network can help students to survive the postgraduate journey. But it is also necessary to have wider networks…so that [students] can benefit from the skills and experience of more senior academics.”

David Bogle, head of the graduate school at University College London, also added that the network could be ‘useful’ in supporting ethnic minority students.