SoGE unveils scholarships for students from Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds

The announcement follows Black History Month and pays tribute to this year's theme 'Time for Change: Action Not Words'. The scholarships are a positive action measure under s.158 of the Equality Act 2010 and the department is committed to embracing and celebrating Black excellence year-round.

SoGE aims to attract and admit students with outstanding academic potential irrespective of their background or ability to pay. Commitment to equality and diversity are at the heart of our academic missions and these scholarships will reduce barriers to access for students who are currently underrepresented in our postgraduate programmes.

Inequalities in terms of race and ethnicity are significant and demand attention across geography HE. In 2018/19 just 1.7% of all enrolling undergraduate geography students in the UK identified as Black, despite Black students representing 7.2% of the undergraduate cohort intake, according to data from the RGS-IBG. This number decreases even further at a postgraduate level.

Reflecting on the news, Head of School Professor Giles Wiggs said:

I am extremely pleased that the School is launching these very important scholarships. We are deeply committed to equality of opportunity in education and research, and these scholarships reflect our desire to diversify the discipline and ensure that the geographers of the future are truly representative of society. Without such inclusivity we will be unable to resolve the environmental and societal challenges of the 21st century.

There will be two scholarships awarded in total, one fully funded Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil/PhD) scholarship for UK-resident applicants from Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds (The Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment) and one fully funded MSc scholarship for UK-resident applicants of Black and mixed Black heritage. The recipients' intake will be the 2023-2024 class.

Candidates will be selected on academic merit and potential and will receive financial assistance for tuition fees along with a maintenance allowance of up to £17,668 p.a.

PK Kulasegram, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at SoGE, said:

Although Black History month has ended, that doesn't mean our need to embrace and celebrate Black excellence has. Anti-racism is an ongoing commitment, which is why I'm proud of our new postgraduate scholarships for Black and other minority ethnic backgrounds applicants from the UK.

These scholarships are about enabling a new generation of Black thinkers and researchers. They are a step in the right direction and I'm glad to see concrete examples of our commitment to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion within the school.

The Bradley Wilson Scholarship in Geography and the Environment launches in partnership with Jesus College Oxford and is supported by the generosity of Geography alumni Bradley Wilson (1967) and Rodney Wright (1962).

To find out more about our graduate programmes visit: www.geog.ox.ac.uk/graduate/