LONDON, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Academics have raised concerns that cost-cutting measures by UK universities, amidst a financial crisis, are affecting lecturers and courses that have important "in addressing racial disparities in higher education," The Guardian reported.
Since last year, several universities across England have made prominent professors in Black scholarship redundant, eliminating their roles and discontinuing courses in related fields.
Notable institutions, such as the University of Chichester, suspended recruitment for the Masters by Research (MRes) course on African History and the Diaspora, making the program leader, Professor Hakim Adi, redundant. Birmingham City University (BCU) has also shut down its undergraduate Black Studies program. While Goldsmiths, University of London, reversed plans to cut its Black British Literature MA following public criticism, it still made the program's co-founder, Professor Deirdre Osborne, redundant.
Additionally, Robert Beckford, the only Black professor at the University of Winchester and director of its Institute for Climate and Social Justice, was also made redundant.
"I've always had the threat of redundancy because there was always a lack of funding for posts that were connected to race," Beckford said. "I've never had that kind of luxury of knowing that I was in a place that was going to invest in me and give me lots of time to develop my craft."
Professor Kehinde Andrews, who leads BCU's black studies department, said he was disappointed but not surprised when he learned the undergraduate course would be discontinued. He noted there's "no appreciation for the importance of Black intellectual thought."
Campaigners argue that the lost specialist knowledge and mentorship will have a lasting impact. With "little Black production in Britain ... there will be nothing left," Andrews said.
Over the past decade, UK universities have made advances in creating dedicated lectureships and developing broader curricula in Black history, culture, politics, and philosophy, which have also contributed to an increase in the number of Black professors. However, despite these improvements, fewer than 1 percent of professors in the UK are Black, signaling persistent racial disparities in higher education.
However, a report published by the Office for Students earlier this year found that 40 percent of universities and other higher education institutions in England are expected to be in deficit in 2023-24, with many showing low cash flow.
According to The Guardian, universities have cited severe financial constraints as the reason for these cuts, stating that such courses are expensive to run and less popular than in countries such as the United States, where Black history and arts are more established. ■
