Five key takeaways from the Race in STEM roundtable

Five key takeaways from the Race in STEM roundtable

The latest Race in STEM roundtable was held on Thursday 25th January. Host Steven Fuller was joined by a panel of Rapulu (Ral) Ogbah, Dr Wayne Mitchell, Marcia Philbin, Stephen Vinter and Mandy Budwal-Jagait, to discuss ways of increasing multicultural representation in STEM. Here are five key takeaways from the discussion.

The power of intention

When it comes to DEI, there has to be an intention behind what you’re trying to do, allied to clear objectives. If there’s no intentionality for change, change will not happen.

You have to see it to be it…

Being around people of your own ethnicity gives you a sense of identity and belonging. Our attendees described how they’d been inspired to pursue their future careers by someone who looked like them.

...but you can still be it if you can’t see it

“Don’t think, ‘I can’t see them so I can’t do it.’ Dare to dream.” — Dr Wayne Mitchell

The power of trust

People need to know that it’s safe to talk about their experiences. That’s why organisations need to create a psychologically safe space where their people feel like they can express themselves and challenge where necessary.

Looking in the right places

Organisations in STEM will often point to a lack of diverse applicants for roles. But if looking in the same places hasn’t yielded the talent you’re hoping for, you’re looking in the wrong places.

Learn more about Race in STEM

Many thanks to our attendees for a wonderfully engaging discussion. Race in STEM is a community for underrepresented multicultural voices in STEM. If you’d like to find out more, or you want to talk to us about improving equality and diversity in your organisation, please get in touch below.

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