Tackling racial inequalities in higher education requires more than good intentions or isolated initiatives. As part of Veredus’s sponsorship of the Outstanding Contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion category at the THE Awards 2026, we spoke with Syra Shakir, Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching at Leeds Trinity University about institutional courage, the importance of student voice and what it takes to turn a commitment to race equality into meaningful change.
“It does take institutional courage to admit that racism is real.”
For Syra Shakir, this willingness to confront uncomfortable realities is fundamental to tackling the persistent racial inequalities that continue to affect students across higher education.
At Leeds Trinity University, that recognition has helped shape more than a decade of work to address disparities in student experiences and outcomes, moving beyond individual interventions towards an approach that embeds race equality throughout the institution.
A significant turning point came around a decade ago, when the University began its journey with Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter, prompting Leeds Trinity to examine its data, listen closely to students and staff, and develop targeted anti-racist actions. In 2025, Leeds Trinity became the first university in Yorkshire and the Humber, and only the seventh nationally, to achieve the Race Equality Charter Silver Award.
Putting Student Voice at the Centre
For Syra, one of the most important lessons has been recognising that racial inequalities in access, continuation, progression and degree outcomes are complex problems that cannot be resolved through a single intervention. Understanding students’ experiences has therefore been central to developing effective responses.
“It’s the students who are affected by these disparities that actually hold the keys,” she explains, emphasising the importance of involving students directly in shaping institutional action.
This commitment to co-creation has informed a whole-institution approach, encompassing everything from the University’s Curriculum for Social Justice and academic support to mental health services, recruitment practices, staff development and library resources. The aim is to ensure that responsibility for race equality extends across academic and professional services, rather than sitting solely with specialist EDI teams.
Creating Space for Difficult Conversations
One example is Re:Tension, an anti-racist education programme that Leeds Trinity has delivered to staff across the University for approximately six years. It addresses the topic of institutional racism and the gap in student retention amongst Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students within British universities and was inspired by analysing statistical data that highlighted the unexplained dropout rate of BAME students.
Built around a short, dramatised film co-created with students, the programme uses lived experiences, poetry, storytelling and theoretical perspectives to develop race literacy and encourage critical reflection. It is also embedded within the curriculum for foundation and first-year students, introducing conversations about race and racism from the beginning of their university experience.
For Syra, creating environments where people feel able to engage openly with difficult issues is essential. “We call people in rather than calling people out,” she explains. The intention is to encourage people to reflect on their assumptions, acknowledge discomfort and challenge their thinking without feeling that making mistakes will lead to judgement.
Syra believes this approach has contributed to a significant cultural shift, with colleagues increasingly willing to discuss racism openly, challenge assumptions and engage in difficult conversations. The programme has also attracted considerable external interest, with Leeds Trinity delivering training to around 50 organisations across the country both within the higher education sector and beyond.
Coaching the Gap: Turning Support into Student Success
Alongside this broader cultural work, Leeds Trinity has developed targeted initiatives to support students experiencing difficulties with academic engagement and progression. Coaching the Gap provides professional coaching for racially minoritised students who may be struggling with attendance, assessment performance or engagement with university life, sometimes alongside mental health and wellbeing challenges.
Working with an independent external coach over an academic year, students receive personalised support focused on their individual goals. This is complemented by wellbeing workshops and connections to wider university support services.
The outcomes have been particularly encouraging. All participating second-year students successfully progressed to their final year, while all final-year participants completed their studies and graduated.
The programme has continued into a further year and involves collaboration with a local Black-owned charity, bringing community expertise into the University.
For Syra, its success illustrates the importance of combining personalised support with wider institutional action, recognising that students’ experiences are shaped by multiple, interconnected factors.
From Commitment to Lasting Change
Despite the progress achieved, Syra is clear that meaningful transformation requires more than increasing representation or introducing visible diversity initiatives. “Representation alone won’t mean transformation,” she says. While diversifying curricula, increasing staff diversity and celebrating different cultures are important, lasting change depends on addressing the institutional structures and processes that perpetuate inequalities. That means embedding race equality into governance, strategic priorities, policies and accountability frameworks, supported by sustained commitment from university leadership.
“It’s not something that’s an add-on that we simply do later,” Syra explains. “It’s something that has to be embedded in our structure and our governance.”
For other universities seeking to address racial inequalities, Leeds Trinity’s experience demonstrates the importance of combining institutional courage with practical action: listening to students, creating space for honest conversations and ensuring that responsibility for change is shared.