The Anti-Racist Scholar Collective brings together scholars, students, practitioners, activists, and creative practitioners to collectively challenge structural racism, knowledge inequalities, and institutional barriers that shape educational and societal outcomes. 

The first university in Yorkshire to be awarded the Silver Race Equality Charter, Leeds Trinity is leading the way to anti-racism work in higher education (HE), having recently delivered an impactful seminar series which prompted the creation of the Anti-Racist Scholar Collective.  

And the Collective has already gathered 115 members from 75 institutions across the UK, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, South Africa, and the US. 

Dr Syra Shakir, Associate Professor and Strategic Lead for Race Equity at Leeds Trinity University, who created the Collective, said: “The aim of Anti-Racist Scholar Collective is to challenge the resurgent and dominant narratives of an emboldened far right. Creating spaces grounded in solidarity, critical dialogue, and lived experience is essential. It is also about nurturing those spaces so that scholarship, creativity, and community knowledge can come together to challenge injustice and re-imagine more equitable futures.” 

“We need as many voices from across the sector to come together and stand firm against the pernicious issues that racism continues to create in HE.” 

With an established track record of delivering high-impact anti-racist training nationally, the University’s seminar series, led by Dr Syra Shakir, saw high attendance and engagement from professionals in HE and other areas of the public sector. A free resource pack based on the series has been disseminated among academic and research circles, as well as staff networks and anti-racist groups across the country, to inform further action, conversations and organisational change. 

Professor Charles Egbu, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University and the UK’s first Black Vice-Chancellor, said: “There is a lot of work still to do to embed anti-racism into our universities. We need people to support this at every stage in such a way that the culture in HE is one that speaks truly of social justice, inclusivity, and equity for all. This is why I am grateful to Dr Shakir and colleagues who champion this work at Leeds Trinity University, and who continue to inspire others all over the country, and now globally, to do the same.” 

Those interested in signing up to the Anti-Racist Scholar Collective can do so by filling in the online form.