The University of Westminster recently hosted the second annual Holding the Space: Shining a Light on Black Academics conference, a landmark event dedicated to amplifying the voices, research and lived experiences of Black academics, students and professional services colleagues in higher education. The conference brought together a cross-institutional group of over 100 speakers, delegates and advocates for racial equality from across the UK and internationally to address pressing issues and facilitate dialogue for structural change.
The conference, held at the University’s Regent Street Campus on 16 April, centred Black scholarship, lived experience and practice within higher education. The theme of this year’s conference was Black Scholarship and Global Futures and was organised by Dr Yaz Osho, Principal Lecturer and Director of Academic Professional Development at Westminster’s Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation (CETI).
Dr Osho opened the event alongside Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Bonfield, who highlighted the significance of creating spaces for dialogue to inspire transformation within the sector. Stephen Bunbury, Reader in Law at the University, was invited as a speaker and explored how Black male scholars can navigate and progress within higher education by combining an awareness of structural barriers with strategic action. He emphasised the importance of understanding the norms and expectations that shape academic progression, making intentional decisions about where to invest time and energy and setting boundaries to protect career trajectories.
Jason Arday, Professor of Sociology of Education at the University of Cambridge and Westminster Honorary Doctorate, joined him to discuss the realities of Black excellence and survival in academia, emphasising intentionality, resistance and the responsibility to re‑imagine what power looks like in universities. He spoke about the courage required to pursue one’s dreams, the need to actively create conditions for Black women’s success and the importance of protecting joy, health and relationships rather than sacrificing everything to institutional demands.
The conference created space for connection, collaboration and dialogue through meaningful networking, cross institutional dialogue and conversations that opened up new ways of thinking on possibility, strategy and emerging practices.
As part of its next phase, Holding the Space will launch a new Praxis Series which will invite Black scholars, professional services colleagues and organisations to present work, showcase practice and exchange ideas aligned with the theme of shining a light on Black academics.
A new Holding the Space podcast will also launch, creating an accessible platform for conversation on scholarship, lived experience and practice and explore the realities and possibilities shaping Black academic life.
The event was founded and led by Dr Yaz Osho, with support from Black History Year (BHY) event manager Paula Cadenhead, alongside institutional sponsorship from CETI and BHY and sector sponsors and support including Sketchnotes UK, the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE), Global Ethnic Majority Women in Academia (GEMWA) and Bloomsbury Publishing.
About the initiative, Dr Osho said: “Holding the Space was created to centre Black scholarship, lived experience and practice in ways that move us forward. What the conference demonstrated is that these spaces are not optional - they are essential to how we think about equity, belonging and the future of higher education. The responsibility now is to ensure this work continues and grows.”
Mariam Hussein, an attendee at the event who presented her paper, Student Voices on Anti-Racism at UK Drama Schools, said: “I left feeling inspired. It was a timely reminder of why this work matters, especially at a point in my journey where securing PhD funding to continue this research has felt like a long and winding road. Spaces like this remind me that the work has a home, that there is a community behind it and that the right people are paying attention. That keeps me going.”
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more information about Westminster’s Black History Year initiative.
Black scholars and practitioners are encouraged to express interest in taking part, and individuals, institutions and organisations are welcome to express their wish to support, collaborate or host activity by filling in the Holding the Space: Get Involved form.
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