Mentoring as a bridge for anti-racist leadership

Before joining Buckinghamshire New University in 2023, Damien had various roles in advertising and recruitment. He began his education career in Further Education, working as a Lecturer at Lewisham College teaching English and communications before moving into leadership, overseeing a diverse set of courses, from Access to entry level construction as well as leading e-learning innovations such as the Academy of e-Business.

Damien then joined Linking London Lifelong Learning Network at Birkbeck, University of London, forging progression routes between FE and HE and commissioning teaching and transition innovation projects, before joining the University of Greenwich as a Senior Lecturer in post-compulsory teacher education. After progressing to Head of Department of Education and Community Studies, he was then appointed as Dean of the Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University, creating a strategy founded upon social justice and inclusion.

Damien then became Dean of the Faculty of Education, Health and Wellbeing at the University of Wolverhampton, a full member of the university Executive, as well as being the Executive Lead for research and Knowledge Exchange. He is also an active researcher specialising in organisational behaviour in education settings.

Khadija is Associate Dean for Equality, Diversity, Inclusion at the University of the West of Scotland. Khadija is a sector leader on racial equity and anti-racism education. Her research centres on the lived experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Teachers in Scotland with a focus on acknowledging, nurturing and celebrating their diverse identities. Khadija is the co-founder and Chair of the Scottish Association of Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE) which offers support and mentorship to minority ethnic educators and communities accessing education services. She received the Herald’s Higher Education Outstanding Contribution from a Staff Member Award in 2022 and received the Impact in Education Award at the South Asian Business Awards 2023. Khadija led the Advance HE ‘Tackling Racism on Campus’ Project which led to all Scottish Universities and Colleges endorse a declaration committing to anti-racist practice. Khadija was the first BME educator to be elected as the Convenor of the General Teaching Council for Scotland 2020-24 (GTCS) and she currently chairs the Scottish Government Anti-Racism in Education Programme Board (AREP).

Dr Shames Maskeen is the Associate Director of The Race Institute and Senior Lecturer in Psychology specialising in widening participation, intersectionality and cultural change. The Race Institute emerged directly from his leadership role in driving Leeds Trinity University to become the first University in Yorkshire to achieve the Race Equality Charter Bronze award and the need to keep anti-racism on the national agenda to enable sustained transformational change. His research focusses on tackling racial inequities and the intersections of class, culture, religion and gender experienced by racialised minorities in Higher Education and beyond. Dedicated to anti-racist leadership, he focusses on turning theory into action to create an equitable future for young people.

Professor Malcolm Todd has worked at a senior executive level in several universities and is passionate about the student experience. Over the past 20 years, he has led on a large number of transformative projects to benefit students, staff and stakeholder experiences in relation to diversity, equality and inclusion. He has published extensively on learning and teaching matters, especially around the themes of learner autonomy, work-based learning and the teaching of 'race' and ethnicity. He is a Principal Fellow of the HEA and a National Teaching Fellow.

Rachel Webb is the Internal Communications and Staff Engagement Officer at Universities UK (UUK). In this role, she oversees the dissemination of information to staff across the London, Wales, and Scotland offices, while fostering meaningful face-to-face connections in a hybrid working environment.

Rachel plays a key role in delivering regular learning and development opportunities, frequently drawing on the expertise and impactful work of UUK colleagues,  member organisations and stakeholders. She is particularly passionate about highlighting sector-wide initiatives that promote inclusion, ensuring they are brought to life in a practical and engaging way.

Prior to joining UUK, Rachel worked in the voluntary sector in both the UK and Jamaica. She also held roles in the civil sector (Jamaica), where she designed and implemented innovative community outreach projects, demonstrating her commitment to driving positive social impact.