Runnymede Academic Fora: End Racism This Generation.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: Social Sciences
Abstract
The Runnymede Academic Forum has been established since 2005, as a space for knowledge exchange and collaboration between academics working on issues of race equality. The Forum forms part of the work of the Runnymede Trust, which has been at the forefront of policy-focused research and thought leadership in race equality for over forty years. The aim of the forum is to bring together researchers from different disciplines and areas of research to foster dialogue, to identify emerging areas of concern, to disseminate research findings and to generate publications and interventions into the policy arena. The Forum is the only national academic network focused on issues of race equality, and to date has been very successful in producing some key interventions into the policy arena and public debate - for example around the white working class, mixed race, criminal justice and gangs. The Forum currently comprises 80 academics from across the UK, predominantly concentrated in the social sciences.
The current research network proposal aims to build on and extend this existing network, to shape the current debates around race equality in the UK. These issues are of key significance given the changing demographics of the UK, evidence of continued and increasing racial diversity and inequality across a range of policy areas in an age of austerity, and the increasing silence around tackling racial inequality at the level of policy and politics. The research network would enable the Forum to extend in five new ways: 1) to expand the disciplinary focus of the Forum, to increase participation from the Arts and Humanities and facilitate the dissemination of work from these areas into the public and policy arena; 2) to hold forum meetings in key cities around the UK to increase participation from non-London based academics, to address key regional and local issues, and engage with local state and third sector groups; 3) to develop a related network of new scholars, including research collaboration, dissemination and publication, and a training and mentoring system for new researchers; 4) to help develop and support a national network of doctoral students working on race and ethnicity, including an annual national conference; 5) to develop a website bringing new research to a broad audience of stakeholders and interested audiences, and provde a resource bank of new research for academics, researchers, policymakers, community groups, and students 6) to foster international links with academic institutions and third sector groups, initially in the US, to explore similarities and differences in different national, cultural and historical contexts, and promote international collaboration in research and dissemination.
The current research network proposal aims to build on and extend this existing network, to shape the current debates around race equality in the UK. These issues are of key significance given the changing demographics of the UK, evidence of continued and increasing racial diversity and inequality across a range of policy areas in an age of austerity, and the increasing silence around tackling racial inequality at the level of policy and politics. The research network would enable the Forum to extend in five new ways: 1) to expand the disciplinary focus of the Forum, to increase participation from the Arts and Humanities and facilitate the dissemination of work from these areas into the public and policy arena; 2) to hold forum meetings in key cities around the UK to increase participation from non-London based academics, to address key regional and local issues, and engage with local state and third sector groups; 3) to develop a related network of new scholars, including research collaboration, dissemination and publication, and a training and mentoring system for new researchers; 4) to help develop and support a national network of doctoral students working on race and ethnicity, including an annual national conference; 5) to develop a website bringing new research to a broad audience of stakeholders and interested audiences, and provde a resource bank of new research for academics, researchers, policymakers, community groups, and students 6) to foster international links with academic institutions and third sector groups, initially in the US, to explore similarities and differences in different national, cultural and historical contexts, and promote international collaboration in research and dissemination.
Planned Impact
In addition to the academic beneficiaries, the research network will be of benefit to the following groups:
1) The Runnymede Trust: the Runnymede Academic Forum to date has given the Trust access to emerging scholarship in the field, identifying key areas for research, promoting research collaboration, and generating significant collaborative publications (through the Runnymede Perspectives series, Bulletin, edited collections) and dissemination (e.g. BanglaStories, Making Community History, Revealing Romans). The consolidation and extension of the Forum will enable Runnymede to identify and develop new areas of research (in particular in the Arts and Humanities, which have been under-represented to date), strengthen local academic and community links through the regionally based Forum meetings, develop their web presence, and generate new research collaborations and publications, raising the profile of the organisation and the Forum members, and maximising impact locally, nationally and internationally.
2) Government (local and central) and policymakers: the production of online publications, the Bulletin and the website will disseminate academic research in key policy areas in an accessible manner. The Fora will also provide a resource in terms of expertise and knowledge, and will facilitate knowledge exchange between the academy and central and local government. The Fora will also take on a key role in setting the agenda for new issues in race equality.
3) Media, public and third sector organisations: the production of online publications, the Bulletin and the website will disseminate academic research across a range of sectors in an accessible manner. The Fora membership will comprise an invaluable resource for organisations seeking information and expertise, and a basis for collaboration in terms of research design, conduct and dissemination. Recent collaboration between the PI, Runnymede and organisations such as community groups, museums, archives, libraries, youth groups and schools etc, have been highly successful, and we would seek to develop this model further. The Fora could also facilitate links between public and third sector groups, locally and nationally, who seek to engage with issues of race equality. The regionally based Forum meetings will act as a space which bring together local academic institutions and third sector groups for information sharing and agenda setting.
4) Universities, schools and young people: the production and dissemination of current research in accessible form online will be invaluable for providing resources for university students, from undergraduates to doctoral students. In addition, drawing on Runnymede's extensive experience and networks, the Fora will provide material suitable for use in schools and with young people, to contribute to the curricula in history, English, sociology, PSE, religion, citizenship etc.
5) General audience: issues of race equality, migration and multiculturalism are notoriously fraught in terms of public debate and opinion, and the academy has not always been successful in intervening into this arena. The Fora would work with Runnymede to make research accessible to interested members of the public - for example, drawing on Runnymede's influential 'Key Facts' series - to help shape an informed public debate. The online format would facilitate wide accessibility and engagement.
1) The Runnymede Trust: the Runnymede Academic Forum to date has given the Trust access to emerging scholarship in the field, identifying key areas for research, promoting research collaboration, and generating significant collaborative publications (through the Runnymede Perspectives series, Bulletin, edited collections) and dissemination (e.g. BanglaStories, Making Community History, Revealing Romans). The consolidation and extension of the Forum will enable Runnymede to identify and develop new areas of research (in particular in the Arts and Humanities, which have been under-represented to date), strengthen local academic and community links through the regionally based Forum meetings, develop their web presence, and generate new research collaborations and publications, raising the profile of the organisation and the Forum members, and maximising impact locally, nationally and internationally.
2) Government (local and central) and policymakers: the production of online publications, the Bulletin and the website will disseminate academic research in key policy areas in an accessible manner. The Fora will also provide a resource in terms of expertise and knowledge, and will facilitate knowledge exchange between the academy and central and local government. The Fora will also take on a key role in setting the agenda for new issues in race equality.
3) Media, public and third sector organisations: the production of online publications, the Bulletin and the website will disseminate academic research across a range of sectors in an accessible manner. The Fora membership will comprise an invaluable resource for organisations seeking information and expertise, and a basis for collaboration in terms of research design, conduct and dissemination. Recent collaboration between the PI, Runnymede and organisations such as community groups, museums, archives, libraries, youth groups and schools etc, have been highly successful, and we would seek to develop this model further. The Fora could also facilitate links between public and third sector groups, locally and nationally, who seek to engage with issues of race equality. The regionally based Forum meetings will act as a space which bring together local academic institutions and third sector groups for information sharing and agenda setting.
4) Universities, schools and young people: the production and dissemination of current research in accessible form online will be invaluable for providing resources for university students, from undergraduates to doctoral students. In addition, drawing on Runnymede's extensive experience and networks, the Fora will provide material suitable for use in schools and with young people, to contribute to the curricula in history, English, sociology, PSE, religion, citizenship etc.
5) General audience: issues of race equality, migration and multiculturalism are notoriously fraught in terms of public debate and opinion, and the academy has not always been successful in intervening into this arena. The Fora would work with Runnymede to make research accessible to interested members of the public - for example, drawing on Runnymede's influential 'Key Facts' series - to help shape an informed public debate. The online format would facilitate wide accessibility and engagement.
People |
ORCID iD |
Claire Alexander (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Alexander, Claire
(2015)
Aiming Higher: Race, Inequality and Diversity in the Academy
El-Enany, N.
(2015)
Justice, Resistance and Solidarity: Race and Policing in England and Wales
Khan, O.
(2015)
Race and Elections
Title | Aiming Higher: |
Description | Short film discussing key themes around race inequality in Higher Education, featuring key people from the Aiming Higher publication |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Impact | Launched at House of Commons event hosted by APPG on Race and Cohesion in February 2015. Report and film gained national press and TV coverage. |
URL | https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RaOx1d8hmJY |
Description | This was a research network which brought together leading and emerging scholars working on issues around race equality in Britain. We held a number of events and produced publications which brought together key findings on: education, higher education, the election, policing and criminal justice |
Exploitation Route | The Race and HE (aiming Higher Report) received extensive media coverage and led to Runnymede's invitation to contribute to the discussions around racial inequality by Universities UK. We have also contributed to the national debates on curriculum, and on staffing (the recently launched UCU campaign). The School Report received coverage in the THES. The Race and Policing report was covered by the Huffington Post. |
Sectors | Education Government Democracy and Justice |
Description | The Aiming Higher report received widespread coverage and has been used by the UCU's campaign around staffing, and in the national campaigns around an inclusive curriculum. The School Report was covered in the THES. The Race and Elections report received extensive coverage in the press and TV. |
First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
Sector | Education,Government, Democracy and Justice |
Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
Description | Runnymede Academic Forum |
Organisation | Runnymede Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | The funding enabled us to collaborate with Runnymede in developing a series of seminars from their Academic Forum and to develop their Emerging Scholars Forum. We were particularly focused on broadening the scope of the Forum to include scholars working in Arts and Humanities. Contributions from Alexander (as PI) involved organisation, arranging seminars, attending/chairing events and editing publications |
Collaborator Contribution | Runnymede were the key organisational hub for this network, which they have been hosting for the past 8 years. Runnymede's reputation and networks with academic and stakeholder organisations (including government and NGOs) were crucial in generating topics, establishing collaborative links and assembling stakeholders. Members of the Runnymede team were key collaborators in editing publications and in the dissemination/media coverage aspects of the work, including high profile launch events. |
Impact | Perspectives publications: Aiming Higher (2015), Race and Elections (2015), The Runnymede School Report (2015), Race and Policing (2015, forthcoming October), Equal rights for all (forthcoming 2015) Seminars: Race and the Arts, Race and the Far Right, Aiming Higher (3 x seminars), Race and Education ESF Seminars: Race and Activism, Teaching Race, Research and the Media Conferences: Equal Rights for All? Magna Carta and the first Race Relations Act |
Description | Aiming Higher Seminar - LSE |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar on Access and Widening Participation held at, and co-sponsored by LSE, in June 2014. Brought together key stakeholders (OFFA, Million Plus) and academics working on issues of BME inequality and access. Presentations from this seminar formed part of Aiming Higher publication and film. Received national press coverage |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Aiming Higher Seminar - Warwick |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar as part of Race and HE series, held at/co-sponsored by University of Warwick on 29/1/2014. Brought together policymakers, academics and key stakeholders (e.g NUS) to explore issues of curriculum, attainment and employability. Seminar presentations formed part of Aiming Higher publication and film, which received extensive national press coverage. Issues of attainment have been central to discussions of HE and several institutions are drawing on our work/publication to address the BME attainment gap |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Aiming Higher Seminar Manchester |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Seminar on Race and Higher Education: Staffing at University of Manchester on 18th October 2013. Co-sponsored by Academic Forum and University of Manchester. Brought together academics and University E&D officers with key stakeholders (Equality Challenge Unit etc) to discuss racial inequality in staffing in HE Part of Aiming Higher publication/film. This report and film received extensive national press coverage |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Emerging Scholars Forum - Birkbeck |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Emerging Scholars Forum on Teaching Race Training and discussion forum for doctoral students and ECRs. Networking and skills training |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Emerging Scholars Forum - Manchester |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Emerging Scholars Forum at University of Manchester on 18th March 2015 - topic: Race and Activism. Seminar/network building for doctoral students and ECRs. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Emerging Scholars LSE |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Emerging Scholars Forum meeting at LSE in January 2014 - topic was on 'Race and the Media' and included training on how to write for press media for disseminating research Training for PhD and ECRs |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Far Right and the Election Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | The seminar brought together leading historians and social scientists to discuss 'The Role of the Far Right in Shaping British Electoral Politics' at University of Manchester on 26/6/14. The seminar led to a Perspectives collection edited by Kjartan Sveinsson and Omar Khan on 'Race and Elections' (April 2015), which received national press coverage. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
URL | http://www.runnymedetrust.org/uploads/RaceandElectionsFINAL_interactive.pdf |
Description | Race and Education Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Seminar to explore issues of racial inequality in Education. Brought together leading scholars in the field with key practitioners. Held at University of Birmingham on 5/3/2015. Seminar led to publication of 'The Runnymede School Report' in August 2015. Received coverage in TES, 18th September 2015. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Race and the Arts Seminar |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
Results and Impact | Seminar on 'Race and the Arts' at LSE 22/11/13. Presentations and film showing sparked discussion and showcased research. Part of academic forum activities to create new links with Arts and Humanities scholars working on race equality. Around 20 new scholars have joined the forum as part of this initiative. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
Description | Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies network 2014 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | 2 day conference of PhD students working on race and inequality Presentation and discussion of research and networking amongst peers. Articles produced for Runnymede's 'Race Card' online bulletin |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
Description | Race, Ethnicity and Postcolonial Studies network 2015 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | 2 day workshop for phd students working on race and inequality. Discussion and presentation skills, networking. Short pieces produced for Runnymede's Race Card online bulletin |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |