October / November – Race and Ethnicity Equality

What do we mean by race and ethnicity equality?

The University aims to eliminate racial disparities by improving representation, progression and success of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff and students, and making meaningful and lasting interventions in areas such as staff recruitment, representation, pay gaps and progression; student admissions, representation and attainment; discrimination, bullying and harassment; and curriculum reform.

The information on this page highlights events, information and support which support this aim, alongside celebrating the contributions of BAME staff, students and individuals.

Defining race and ethnicity

Applied to humans, the concept of ‘race’ is the idea that certain groups of people are born different to each other. The term was introduced in the early 1700s as a way of categorizing humans into groups with underlying biological characteristics. Race was initially exploited as a vehicle to justify colonization and slavery. Many people around the world still fallaciously think that ‘race’ is natural, fixed, and based on biological differences, but that idea is incorrect. Rather:

race is a worldview and social classification that divides humans into groups based on their appearance and assumed ancestry, and that has been used to establish social hierarchies.

The visible traits most commonly used to categorize individuals into races – such as skin colour or facial features – are not representative of the human genome, and hence the concept of race has no valid scientific basis. Nonetheless, many people relate to being of a particular race, or with being of ‘mixed-race’, and this can be an important aspect of their identity.

The term ‘ethnicity’ is related to race, and some people use the terms ‘race’ and ‘ethnicity’ interchangeably, although ‘ethnic groups’ are often more fine-grained divisions than ‘races’. Ethnic groups are comprised of people who identify with each other on the basis of perceived shared attributes, such as a common language, culture, religion and history.

The fact that race is socially constructed does not mean that racial categories are unimportant. Social constructions can become real if they have real effects in the world, such as when people treat individuals from diverse racial categories differently. Thus the social construct of race often leads to real-life discrimination and racism.

Professor Kevin Lala (Professor in School of Biology and EDI Faculty Lead for Science and Medicine)

Here at the University of St Andrews we are committed to eradicating racial discrimination and inequality. This is exemplified in our successful application for a Race Equality Charter (REC) Bronze Award.

Learn

1. Consider information presented in charter applications, university action plans and reports to better understand institutional priorities to tackle race and ethnicity inequality (particularly work on our Race Equality Charter and the BAME Students’ Action Plan Report) and reflect on your role within this work.
2. Explore the range of information on our website related to inclusive curricula and reflect on how you, and the University, can adopt anti-colonial practices, for example; seeking a diverse range of perspectives and voices, and avoiding stereotypes and narrow cultural references. Although information focuses on inclusive curricula, it also presents tips which are useful to consider in a variety of contexts.
3. Listen to, and amplify, the voices of fellow staff and students. Read blogs, for example, ‘Let us embody Black Joy‘ featured in the Kaleidoscope Alumni Network webpages, or read contributions made to more formal reports, for example, SUMS ‘St Andrews Race and Ethnicity Practice Report’. (2022).
4. Gain a better understanding of race, racism and history through watching or listening to relevant videos and podcasts, for example; BBC’s The Myth of Race, or The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre’s Race and Racism in our Modern World Spotify podcast.

Do

1. Join, or signpost others to, a network: Staff and students can access peer support through the BAME Students’ Network, or the BAME Staff Network. As well as providing a valued social, and safe, space, networks make a valuable contribution to making St Andrews “a beacon of inclusivity”, by helping inform development of EDI policies and strategies, and raising awareness of key concerns and issues.
2. Sign up, or encourage other BAME staff, to participate in the Diversifying Leadership (grade 6 or above roles) programme, designed to support the development of leadership and networking skills.
3. Celebrate and engage with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic culture and creativity: Spotify have a range of music and podcast playlists, including Frequency, K-Pop, Desi, and Arab.
4. Signpost friends and family to relevant resources: For example, the BBC have resources to engage children and young people.

Events

• Decolonising research at the University of St Andrews, 27 May 2026
• EDGES Symposium – Unsettling the museum: thinking through Indigenous entanglements, 8 July 2026

EDI Project Fund

Funding is available to support projects and events that could enhance equality and inclusivity within and beyond St Andrews. 

Projects funded through the EDI Project Fund with a focus on race and ethnicity equality have included: 

• Your story, Your Song! Exploring issues of EDI through musical creation 

• South Asian Stories 

Have your say

Please contact [email protected] if you would you like to share your own reflections on the theme of Race and Ethnicity Equality or have any feedback on the Diversity Calendar webpages.