On Tuesday 18 February 2020, Kent Business School (KBS) hosted their third Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) event of the year.
The EDI event, hosted by KBS – Do you ‘fit’? Do your bit for Race, Sexuality & Disability in Business took place at the Sail and Colour Loft on the Medway Campus, University of Kent and was chaired by Dr Manjusha Hirekhan.
The following panellists discussed how they can help to develop the UK Business Sector to ensure it is offering inclusive workplaces where no one feels a sense of inequality.
- Mark Lambert, Higher Education Account Manager at Stonewall
- Jagdeep Rai, Regional Director, South & East Business Banking, HSBC
- Lisa Shoko, Advocate for the Decolonise UKC Movement, University of Kent
- Neil Shorthouse, Founder & Chief Executive of Shorthouse Hospitality
Feedback from the event was very positive, with many students commenting on how the discussions encouraged them to make positive change.
“As Jagdeep from HSBC suggested, I’m going to ‘be a rock star’ in my future job so I can influence changes to make working environments more inclusive”
“I feel more confident in how to get into a position where I can influence change on issues about race and gender quality in business. I never saw ‘not fitting in’ as a positive before”
“This event has ‘changed my view on how accepting companies are about race and it’s not always about just being ‘British’”
“This event has inspired me to look at similarities between people, not just differences”
Thank you to the panellists and guests who attended.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) Business Series are a series of events this year at Kent Business School shining a light on REAL issues for everyday people in business.