October 20th 2023: Motion Passed to Support Professor Hakim Adi, Save the MRes in the History of Africa and the African Diaspora at the University of Chichester

This branch notes:

  • The University of Chichester has suspended recruitment for the Masters by Research (MRes) course History of Africa and the African Diaspora and made its programme leader Professor Hakim Adi redundant;
  • Professor Adi is a world leading expert in his field – as reflected by his recent shortlisting for the prestigious Wolfson History prize – and the first person of African descent to become Professor of History in the UK;
  • The MRes and Professor Adi’s mentorship play a unique role in empowering students of African and Caribbean heritage – many of them mature – to train as historians;
  • The Black Members’ Standing Committee of UCU put out the following statement and call to action on the issue.

This branch believes:

  • The programme closure is an attack on the right of students of colour to study;
  • The legal case against Professor Adi’s dismissal is an important case for how black students and academics are able to progress and are treated in UKHE.

This branch resolves to:

  1. Join the list of supporters to the Save MRes campaign, which is supporting Professor Adi’s grievance against his dismissal and calling for the reinstatement of the programme;
  2. Donate £250 to the campaign’s GoFundMe and encourage other branches to do likewise;
  3. Ask the UCU legal team to provide support to Professor Adi’s case against unfair dismissal on the basis of its significance for racial justice in UKHE.

Proposed: Ben Radley

Seconded: Galadriel Ravelli

Read more: https://www.historymatters.online/save-mres-campaign

Sign the petition: here