Explore the murky history of race science and the ways it has been resurrected in the 21^st century, in this open discussion event hosted by the University’s BME Staff Network.

Journalist Angela Saini will discuss her book Superior: The Return of Race Science at the event The legacy of scientific racism – and how we tackle it: in conversation with Angela Saini. It will be hosted by Val Watson and Dr Maria Augusta Arruda – the outgoing and incoming Chairs of the BME Staff Network.

The discussion will examine how science has been used to further the racist ideologies of the far right from the 1600s to the present day. There will be a focus of the role that race science has played in the context of the current global Black Lives Matter protests.

This event is open to all, and will run online on Tuesday 23 June at 5pm. Bookmark this page and click the link below to access the event live.

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The event will take place in Microsoft Teams. You do not need a Teams account, to register or log in to join the event – just click the link and join live. You will be invited to join Teams, but you don’t need to do that to access the event – you can view in your web browser.

Angela Saini is an independent British science journalist and author. She presents radio and television programmes on the BBC and her writing has appeared in The Sunday Times, Nature, New Scientist, National Geographic and Wired. She has won a number of national and international journalism awards.

Her latest book, Superior: The Return of Race Science, published in 2019 by 4th Estate and Beacon Press to widespread critical acclaim, was named a book of the year by the Financial Times, Guardian, The Telegraph and Sunday Times and won the Transmission Prize. Her previous book, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, was published in 2017 and has been translated into thirteen languages. She is currently working on her fourth book, to be published in early 2023.

Dr Valerie Watson (Val), has worked in education for over thirty years, initially as a school teacher then as an adult education lecturer, trainer, and director of counselling studies, and now as a head of the University of Nottingham counselling service for students and staff. She has undertaken a range of voluntary roles in the community including Victim Support, Rape Crisis and, more recently, adoption consultancy. Val has been Chair of the BME Staff network since 2008, and steps down from the role at the end of this month.

She has maintained an abiding interest in issues of race, ethnicity and the impact of difference on relationships, community action, and the maintenance of health through the use of and access to the arts for all. Latterly her work has focussed on the potential of therapeutic work in groups and organisational reflective practice as a healing agent.

Dr Maria Augusta Arruda is Research Development Manager in the University’s Research and Innovation and Lead of the Research and Business Development Network. After 15 years as an academic in the field of Pharmacology, she is now interested in diversity in science and science communication. She is the incoming Chair of the BME Staff Network and takes up the role on July 1 2020.

The Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Network has been established by the University of Nottingham for all staff regardless of grade, job family, or contract length.

The aims of the BME Staff Network are:

• Provide a forum for BME staff to network and at which we can discuss issues of specific interest that have an effect on us.
• Provide professional support and information about how individual issues may be raised.
• Act as a voice for BME staff offering a source of consultation and a means of communicating with the University about BME issues in relation to University policies and practices.
• Assist with policy development on BME issues by providing advice and feedback to EDI Committee, Human Resources and other relevant University committees

The BME Staff Network is delighted to welcome new members and contributions from existing members. For further details, please email the BME Network.