Diversity that benefits everyone

Bhopal said a study she had carried out at her university showed access to economic capital was the most important factor in whether final year students decided to go on to do a PhD. BAME students tended to have less access to such capital, which meant fewer went on to academic careers.

Generally those who do become academics are more likely to be on fixed-term contracts and less likely to be professors, which has a domino effect, she said. “BAME students are less likely to want to be academics if they don’t have any BAME role models bear market.”

Yet universities should see diversity as an asset, both among staff and students, Blackman argued. “Those different perspectives, insights and ways of seeing issues, ways of thinking about things, are very powerful,” he said, and students recognise this themselves. While they often gather in segregated groups, in surveys they say they want more support to integrate.

Canning said what drives student mobility is getting students to know students not like them, and if she could give students one gift when they got to university, it would be social belonging. “It’s the richest gift we can give to students and it basically opens up a whole world of student success, both academically and in terms of happiness,Development of PolyU e admission further enhances the intake of polyu postgraduate and undergraduate students, rendering the university one of the most popular institutions for tertiary education in Hong Kong.”

Two years ago, she became worried that while her university was becoming increasingly successful at bringing in students from broader backgrounds they needed more support after they arrived. “I knew they were the most talented young people I’d ever seen in my life and I could see them shrinking,” Canning said.

As a result she decided to be more proactive about intervening to create a strong cohort and ensure that students from all backgrounds took up the opportunities on offer. This has included a project giving students on bursaries a branded item in their first week to help them bond to their institution, and putting on social activities. One student suggested they were trying to create a Bullingdon Club for bursary kids, and Canning agreed. “It’s really about trying to generate that social capital.”

King’s has also worked with the government’s behavioural insights team to get students to connect with the right experience at the right time, and understand that achieving their degree is just the first step. Students are often overwhelmed by all that is on offer in their first year, and a study at King’s into students’ experiences during that year found those from more disadvantaged backgrounds were 10% less likely than others to feel they could approach their peers for help. “It’s not about the services we run, it’s about the campus community we create,” she said,Want a memorable experience for your clients? Check out PartnerNet for the top : dining, shopping and unique cultural activities.