Sustaining a co-creative and inclusive culture

We are proud that our culture is rooted in a commitment to inclusion and defined by partnership and shared responsibility. We believe that an inclusive and supportive culture is essential to academic excellence, individual wellbeing, and institutional success, and we actively embed these principles across our policies, practices and campus spaces.

We are committed to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across Birkbeck because we believe that by making our diversity a strength, we foster belonging, enable participation, and create an environment in which our whole community can thrive.

Our alumni, partners and external stakeholders extend our community beyond our campus, enhancing our culture through their backgrounds and experience.

What have we done?

• Promoted wellbeing, belonging and mutual respect as core elements of the Birkbeck experience for students and staff.
• Advanced our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion via sustained progress towards the Advance HE Race Equality Charter, Athena Swan and other national charter marks, and our status as a University of Sanctuary.
• Delivered targeted scholarships and financial support that widen access and reduce barriers for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
• Invested in creating inclusive, accessible and sustainable physical and digital environments through our Connected Campus Estates strategy.

What will we do over the next five years?

• Deliver relevant, responsive and co-created education, embedding collaboration with students, staff and external stakeholders as the standard approach.
• Foster an inclusive culture of belonging and wellbeing ensuring equality, diversity and inclusion are reflected consistently in everyday behaviours, leadership practices and shared expectations across all aspects of university life.
• Strengthen organisational capability and community impact, investing in staff development and leadership capacity to support innovation and collaboration, while actively nurturing our extended community of alumni, partners and stakeholders.

Our success measures

By 2031:

• We will have maintained both organisation-wide Advance HE Race Equality Charter and Athena Swan awards and be implementing the action plans developed to achieve them. We will also have secured individual Athena Swan awards in our three Faculties.
• We will have significantly reduced the gap between Black and White Birkbeck students completing their degrees, so it is equal to or lower than the higher education sector average for London.
• We will have increased the percentage of Black academic staff to 7% to achieve parity with the higher education sector average in London and we will have improved the representation of minoritised staff among heads of directorates and senior professional staff by 5%.
• We will have further increased the number of bursaries available to students from minoritised ethnic and underrepresented groups.
• We will have ensured students participate in the co-creation and enhancement of learning opportunities on 100% of modules where it is pedagogically appropriate.

News highlight

Birkbeck recognised with two bronze charter awards: The University demonstrated a strong commitment to gender and race equalities within a rigorous application process, paving the way for successful outcomes for both. Read the full news story.