Biology students win Global Challenges Program
School of Biology students Salma Ali and Radhe Kumar were the winners of this year’s Global Challenges Program with their entry “A plan to nurture and maintain a thriving diverse and inclusive community in the University of St. Andrews”.
Although the University of St. Andrews is one of the most international universities in the UK, like other elite universities, it has a strikingly low number of BAME (Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority) individuals. Salma and Radhe’s report details strategies, tools and recommendations focussing on three key aspects of university life: talent recruitment, talent retainment and continuous self-improvement. For each aspect, they detail available research and designed and/or created high-impact tools and recommendations to achieve their specified goals.
| Areas | Goals | Tools and recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Talent Recruitment | Recruitment and admissions | Name-blind applications; candidate experience feedback |
| Accessibility and inclusivity | Minority summer research programme | |
| Minimising bias | Evaluating and re-inventing unconscious bias training
Equitable St Andrews and Project Implicit |
|
| Holistic assessment | Alumni interview initiative | |
| Talent Retainment | Creating inclusive opportunities | Open research opportunities platform |
| Promoting inclusive academia | Decolonising curriculums
Belong! A day of inclusion and belonging |
|
| Satisfying and productive social relationships | Mentorship scheme | |
| Self-improvement | Promoting inclusive leadership | Leaders provide progress updates regularly |
| Centralisation | Saint Idea – online forum for ideas
Inclusivity task force |
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