White Rose Equity in Leadership Development programme

Dr Asha Akram and Saniya Rabbani from the School of Psychology and Dr Moaed Al Meselmani from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences have been accepted onto the White Rose Equity in Leadership Development programme.

Firth Court with blue sky

This programme focuses on targeted leadership development for individuals from global majority backgrounds. Co-created with staff from these leading institutions, both in academia and professional services, the pilot programme ran from May to December 2024. It featured a series of facilitated workshops, peer-led masterclasses, networking opportunities with senior leaders from all three universities, dedicated sponsors, and supportive coaches. The programme is designed to equip leaders and line managers with the tools and resources necessary to drive meaningful change.

I’m very pleased to be part of this initiative, which is a great step forward to addressing the lack of racially minoritised individuals in senior leadership roles at this institution and across the sector. I hope this programme will help increase the profile of colleagues from the global majority and will empower me to continue dismantling the barriers that contribute to the lack of diversity in senior leadership.

Dr Asha Akram

Find out more about the programme here

A global reputation

Sheffield is a world top-100 research university with a global reputation for excellence. We're a member of the Russell Group: one of the 24 leading UK universities for research and teaching.