Convenors

Dr Yetunde Kolajo, University of Kent
Email: Y.Kolajo@kent.ac.uk

Dr Nidhi S. Sabharwal, National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), and University of Warwick
Email: nidhi.sabharwal@warwick.ac.uk

Dr Panagiota (Peny) Sotiropoulou, Advance HE
Email: panagiota.sotiropoulou@advance-he.ac.uk

The SRHE EDI Network is a dedicated platform to centre equity, representation, and social justice within research and practice in HE.

The network will function as a space for:

• Knowledge exchange and sharing of good practice on EDI in HE, including multiple perspectives from various stakeholders
• Critical dialogue and scholarly reflection on inclusion, power, and identity
• Collaboration across disciplines, career stages, and institutions to address systemic inequities.

Network Aims:

• Highlight structural inequalities within HE research, policy, and practice and promote relevant good practice
• Bring EDI at the forefront of the SRHE’s networks, providing a platform for researchers, practitioners, policymakers and other relevant stakeholders to share knowledge and engage in meaningful dialogue for an inclusive HE
• Create an inclusive research community for scholars and practitioners whose work engages with EDI themes
• Foster collaborations across SRHE Networks, institutions and global contexts to advance inclusive HE research.

The EDI Network will be of particular interest to:

• Researchers, scholars, practitioners and policymakers with an interest in EDI in HE
• Individuals from underrepresented backgrounds with an interest in relevant HE research, policy and practice
• Academic and professional staff involved in inclusive pedagogy, decolonising curricula, and institutional culture change
• SRHE network convenors and members across other thematic strands
• Institutional staff seeking research-informed EDI strategies
• Community organisations and student advocacy groups collaborating with HE

The network will act as a gateway to SRHE for individuals who may not currently feel the Society reflects their identities, interests, or career stage. These include:

• Individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in HE (e.g. ethnically minoritised, disabled/neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, first generation university entrants/graduates etc)
• Early-career researchers with an interest in EDI
• International researchers based outside the UK (e.g., Global South, postcolonial contexts)
• EDI researchers and practitioners working in non-Russel group institutions or beyond academia

Through tailored events, supportive collaborations, and sector leadership, the network will contribute to diversifying SRHE’s membership base and help the Society live up to its commitments on accessibility and inclusion.