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UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit supports more BAME researchers to engage with Parliament at training and networking event

UK Parliament is supporting #BAME researchers to work with Parliament, starting with an all-day event at the Houses of Parliament.

Taking place on the 12th March and hosted by the UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit, the event aims to build new connections between Parliament and BAME researchers. Attendees will share their lived experience of inequality and barriers to working with Parliament, find out more on how to engage with Parliament as a researcher, and contribute ideas to strengthen Parliament’s work with BAME researchers.

UK Parliament is aware that BAME researchers are under-represented when it comes to engagement with Parliament. March’s event aims to address this imbalance and ensure the UK Parliament is a place where people from all backgrounds – working in different fields of research – can thrive professionally, as well as enriching the overall quality of research used within Parliament.   

As well as celebrating the impact of BAME researchers on the UK Parliament, attendees will learn more about how to engage with Parliament as a researcher and be offered the chance to contribute ideas to strengthen Parliament’s work with BAME researchers. Those present will include academics working in a wide range of disciplines, institutions and career levels, from across the UK.

The event will include a networking reception as a chance for BAME researchers to build their networks and make new contacts with Parliamentary officials, Members of both Houses of Parliament and other stakeholders from the research sector.  The networking reception is sponsored by Emerald Publishing.

This week’s event is one of a series of events aimed at engaging different demographic groups from within the research community. Following on from the success of a similar event in October 2019 aimed at women researchers, a future event will focus on engagement with academics with disabilities, with a date to be announced in the near future.

Naomi Saint, Knowledge Exchange Manager at UK Parliament, said:

“We know that there are groups of researchers who are under-represented at the UK Parliament, and we are really keen to change this.  At this event, we’ll be listening to the community of researchers from BAME backgrounds – celebrating their experiences of working with Parliament, thinking about the challenges they face, and exploring their ideas for how Parliament can embrace and support BAME academics”

About UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit

UK Parliament’s Knowledge Exchange Unit seeks to develop relationships between UK Parliament and networks and organisations in the research community.

The Knowledge Exchange Unit supports the exchange of information and expertise between researchers and the UK Parliament. Working with higher education and beyond, we facilitate and strengthen this exchange of knowledge in a variety of ways, including regional training events, academic fellowships, highlighting opportunities and resources for researchers and those working in higher education, and acting as a first point of contact for any researchers wishing to work with or find out more about UK Parliament.

Emerald Publishing, one of the UK’s leading academic publishers, believes that a diverse workforce leads to better decisions and improved organisational performance. Emerald launched its STRIDE programme to promote gender equality and celebrate diversity on all levels, including race, sexuality and mental health. It is under the STRIDE programme that Emerald Publishing is sponsoring the ‘Women researchers at the UK Parliament’ event.


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