Understanding minority ethnic flight from UK higher education

This presentation describes the experiences of BME academics who consider moving overseas for career opportunities. It explores the barriers that BME academics report in UK higher education, which affects their decisions for overseas higher education migration. The presentation will draw on research funded by the Equality Challenge Unit and suggests that BME academics were significantly more likely than White academics to have ever considered moving overseas to work, although reasons such as family commitments led to many remaining in the UK. However, those BME academics who eventually move overseas report positive experiences. In contrast those who stay in the UK report various barriers to career progression. The research concludes that significant change is needed in the UK higher education sector in order to retain BME academics who consider moving overseas