Equality and Diversity at SOAS
Equality and Diversity at SOAS
Our vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is focused on sustaining an environment where all staff and students achieve their full potential through an inclusive culture and community.
We recognise the intersectional racial disparities in our society and our priorities reflect these concerns. Please read about our strategic directions in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2021-25 (PDF).
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee
The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee is a sub-committee of Senate with the following responsibilities:
- Oversee the implementation of SOAS EDI strategy and ensure its alignment with other strategies
- Monitor and review SOAS performance across a range of equality, diversity, and inclusion measures
- Consider strategic planning and policy development matters relating to equality and diversity and make recommendations to Academic Board and other committees as appropriate
- Hold EDI function leads accountable for delivery of EDI outcomes through regular reports. Commission and provide scrutiny to data, evidence and reports relating to equality, diversity, inclusion
- Oversee and approve equality submissions for accreditation and benchmarking
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Network
The EDI Network is a space to discuss and develop actions to make SOAS a more inclusive, equitable place to work and study. The network, which is open to staff and students, meets termly based on the following objectives:
- Actively promote equality and diversity across the University
- Engage with ongoing EDI concerns facing staff and students and support campaigns
- Make appropriate recommendations to the EDI Committee to ensure accountability
Useful Links
Equality work at SOAS
Worldmaking Beyond SOAS
Worldmaking Beyond SOAS is a flagship initiative of the Equity and Accountability unit launched in 2022 that builds a body of collaborative work and learning to catalyses community, and imagination around what racially just futures look like beyond SOAS.
This work is premised on the fact that Black, Indigenous, racial, feminist, labour and other radical social movements have been critical to working towards new visions of racially just worlds. The innovation and knowledge production that takes place beyond the academy is key to building a just and equitable future, and so it is essential that we forge new relationships and strengthen our exchange to build collective expertise and strategies to combat structural oppression.
- Discover Worldmaking Beyond SOAS projects
*Trans Non-Binary and Intersex Policy
SOAS worked with Gendered Intelligence to develop a *Trans, Non-binary, and Intersex policy for all staff and students that was launched in November 2022. This policy replaces an outdated framework and was influenced by the work of *Trans Dignity, a student campaign. The implementation of the policy is ongoing.
Useful links
- Trans, Non-binary and Intersex Inclusion Policy for Staff and Students (PDF)
- Trans, Non-binary and Intersex Inclusion Guidance for Staff (PDF)
- Trans, Non-binary and Intersex Inclusion Guidance for those Supporting Students (PDF)
- Trans, Non-binary and Intersex Inclusion Policy Mini-Guide by SOAS EDI (PDF)
Race and Belonging module
This module offers a general introduction to race, racism and racial inequalities and the intersections with gender and class.
