SRHE is committed to fostering an academic community and workplace culture that is diverse, inclusive and respectful, recognising that a dynamic mix of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives enriches the Society and its activities.

The Society’s Strategic Plan (2024-2029) features Accessibility as a key objective, foregrounding equity, diversity and inclusion, and outlines several priority actions in emphasising EDI as integral to both research and practice within the Society’s governance, activities, and membership.

EDI Working Group

The EDI working group was established in 2024 to develop and facilitate SRHE’s work in advocating for and supporting greater equity, inclusivity, and diversity in higher education research.  It works with trustees, committees, staff and the wider Society membership to encourage a wide and diverse community of researchers internationally and cross-disciplinarily to make use of the Society and its resources.  It supports the Society’s objective to emphasise equity, diversity, and inclusion as integral to both research and practice in the field of higher education, and within the Society’s governance, activities, and membership.

Working Group Membership

Fakunle, Omolabake, University of Edinburgh (Chair)
Stevenson, Jacqueline, Vice-Chair of Governing Council SRHE, (co-Chair)
Alvarez, Inma, The Open University
Belluigi, Dina, Queen’s University Belfast
Brewer, Gayle, University of Liverpool
Potter, Andrew, The Open University
Ramezani, Seyedeh Golafrooz, Jyvaskyla University, Finland
Sotiropoulou, Panagiota (Peny), Advance HE
Tzanakou, Charikleia, Oxford Brookes University

Loughlin-Chow, Clare, CEO of SRHE
Ismail, Mariam, Engagement and Development Manager

The group will meet three times per year, and has set an ambitious number of objectives, including the development of a formal EDI strategy that promotes membership resources, publication avenues, and research funding opportunities to a more diverse membership, particularly targeting under-represented groups and geographical regions.  We look forward to working with the Research and Development Committee to inform programming of events and workshops, and to develop guidance and procedures which reduce obstacles to participation and reflect a greater variety of perspectives, skills, and experiences throughout the Society’s work.  Likewise, we will liaise with Publications committee (particularly its editorial and publishing members) to support research submissions from under-represented regions.  We will also steer and suggest good practice for SRHE’s Governing Council, and advise and assist in the formation and implementation of EDI monitoring and reporting measures (eg in membership, awards, recruitment, etc.).

We have just started our work and would like to hear from members with any suggestions as to ways in which we can work to make the Society more inclusive, areas of focus for network activities, events that we might run etc.  Please do get in touch with us via our virtual suggestion box below!  Suggestions will be considered in due course by the working group.