Author Archives: Ronke Adeyemi

Webinar on the history of African women in the NHS

As part of Black History Month we are hosting a webinar on the history of African Women in the NHS. The event takes place on Monday 26 October between 17:00 to 18:30 and consists of a one hour workshop exploring the valuable contribution African women have made to the sector. It will be followed by a 30 minute Q&A session. Questions can be submitted in advance via Becky Lamyman on R.S.Lamyman@kent.ac.uk.

Recruitment for the British health service from the colonies of the British Empire began in the period after the Second World War. However, nurses, doctors and other medical professionals trained in Britain before this, as Higher Education was not available in the colonies.

Despite their long history of work within the health service in Britain, the role of African women is rarely highlighted in discussions of the history of the NHS or of health work more generally. As current narratives on black women in the British health service tend to focus on ‘Windrush generation’ Caribbean contributions, this project will cover new ground and expand the understanding of this history.

This webinar is FREE and open to all.

Simply register your attendance on eventbrite and a link to the Teams event will be emailed to all registered participants.

Spaces for students to join online lectures or seminars on campus

Do you need somewhere on campus to join online lectures or seminars on your laptop or on a student PC? There are study hubs across the Canterbury campus with socially distanced study spaces and PCs.

You can also use one of the many seminar rooms, lecture theatres and teaching PC rooms across the Canterbury and Medway campuses while they are not in use for teaching.

We have QR codes outside these rooms so you can easily check if they’re free, and an online tool to check in advance is coming soon.

Head to Library and IT services site for more information.

Screening of Black Panther

On Tuesday 20 October at 19:00 we are hosting a screening of Black Panther. The screening will take place at The Gulbenkian Cinema and a panel discussion will take place afterwards.

On the panel will be Aldo Manella – Vice President for Student Engagement for Kent Union, Stephen Kamara – 2019-20 BAME Network Chair for Kent Union and Maurizio Cinquegrani – Senior Lecturer in Film for the School of Arts.

Black Panther is an American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character. It’s a movie about what it means to be Black in both America and Africa—and, more broadly, in the world.

Rather than dodge complicated themes about race and identity, the film grapples head-on with the issues affecting modern-day black life. It has been lauded as the first mega-budget movie to have a Black director and predominantly Black cast.

Its themes challenge institutional bias, its characters take unsubtle digs at oppressors, and its narrative includes prismatic perspectives on black life and tradition.

Please head to the Kent Union website for more information.

Kent WebChat for commuting students and online learners

The next Webchat takes place on Thursday 15 October at 15:30 and it is aimed at our commuting students and online learners.

The talks will cover topics such as how to access resources and support for online learning, plus how to maximise your education and experience as a commuting student.

We will have some brilliant students taking part in the talk, who are studying online internationally and/or commuting. They will be sharing their real experiences of what it’s like to commute, or study online/remotely.

You can book place here.

If you’d like a WebChat on another theme, then just let us know and we’ll set one up. Suggestions can be mailed to directorstudentservices@kent.ac.uk.

Screening of Hidden Figures

In celebration of Black History Month, the Student Success team are inviting students from the Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences to a screening of Hidden Figures. The screening will take place on Monday 19 October at 18:00 at The Gulbenkian.

This inspiring film shares the untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, three African-American women working at NASA as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history, the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. It went on to receive numerous awards.

Please head to the Kent Union website for more information.

Black Women in STEM

On Tuesday 27 October at 12:00 we are hosting an event about Black Women in STEM. This event is part of Black History Month and will feature a talk from exceptional Black women and students in STEM aka Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It will also address young Black women in academia, who want to pursue a career in the field.

Black women in the UK are among the most underrepresented groups in STEM, but according to research, they are more likely to feel like they belong in the field if they have access to black female role models.

There has been various initiatives set up to encourage Black women to get into this area, such as STEM Learning which is the largest provider of education and careers support. They are dedicated to raising young people’s engagement and achievement in STEM subjects and careers.

For more information, please head to GKSU’s website.

Launch of the Expect Respect module

Here at Kent, we want to make sure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. Therefore, we have taken a few proactive steps to ensure you are well informed and know about the support available. Next Monday we are launching the Expect Respect module.

The Expect Respect module is a compulsory module for all registered students at the University of Kent, regardless of what you are studying or whether you are an undergraduate and postgraduate student.

The module outlines the behaviours we expect of you whilst you are with us as well as what you can expect from both the University and Kent Union (your Student Union), and also digs deep into issues of racism, bias, sexual harassment and consent. It challenges you to think about your own behaviour, the way you interact with others and the impact this could be having on someone else’s experience.

The module will also make you aware of how to report any incidents to the University so that you, or the student affected can access the right support, and will also make you aware of the wide range of different support services available to you depending on your needs.

You can find the Expect Respect module on Moodle (code DP6636) – you should be automatically enrolled but if you have any issues please get in contact with Becky Lamyman on R.S.Lamyman@kent.ac.uk.

CanterBAME podcast series

CanterBAME is an award-winning podcast series hosted by four amazing, intelligent and opinionated Black and Asian women. Dammy, Nisha, Omolade and Blessing explore the student experience from a Black and Asian perspective. They cover topics such as SPAC, dating, relationships, marriage, sexuality and self love and self care.

You can revisit this podcast series for a fresh take on being a CanterBAME student.

Black History Month is a yearly event that celebrates the achievements of Black people in the UK. The university in conjunction with Kent Union are celebrating Black History Month by hosting various activities over October.

Black History Month reading list

Celebrate Black History Month by delving into the various reading lists that covers Black lives and the contribution Black people have made over the years.

Black History Month Reading List

A list of books compiled by Student Services, Information Services and Kent Union which includes classic and modern, fiction and non-fiction, from all over the world which explore what it means to be Black both historically and in the world today.

Decolonise Kent Reading List

This is a reading list by students from the Decolonise the Curriculum project who conducted research by engaging with the students from various schools around the campus.

Social Justice Reading List

A list of books that cover social justice.

Black Thought and Culture

This is a landmark electronic collection of approximately 100,000 pages of non-fiction writings by major American black leaders, teachers, artists, politicians, religious leaders, athletes, war veterans, entertainers, and other figures – covering 250 years of history.