Aspiring leaders from across the White Rose community have embarked on a transformative journey with the first day of the groundbreaking Equity in Leadership programme. 

The initiative, aimed at fostering diversity in higher education leadership, welcomed its second cohort of participants for an engaging and thought-provoking opening session held at the University of Leeds.  

The initiative offers targeted leadership development for staff from global majority* backgrounds, including those in academic and professional services, from the universities of Leeds, Sheffield and York.  

The first day focused on setting the stage for the programme with interactive sessions facilitated by Leyla Okhai, a talk from a previous participant, Dionne Walker (Senior Finance Manager, University of Leeds) and a networking workshop led by Ruth Winden (Careers with Research Consultant, University of Leeds)

A key element of the programme is the emphasis on mentorship and sponsorship. As participants continue the course, they will be matched with senior colleagues to offer guidance, share experiences, and provide invaluable insights into leadership pathways.  

Karen Hinxman, Head of the White Rose University Consortium said: “It was wonderful to see our new cohort engage in the first day of the programme.  

“We received many applications from staff at our partner universities wishing to take part which really shows the need for this kind of targeted training for aspiring leaders.

“I can’t wait to see how they develop as they progress their leadership journeys.”

You can find out more about this year’s participants on the Equity in Leadership pages.

The programme was launched in 2024 and was received enthusiastically by partner universities and participants. Although it is still too early to measure the full impact, nearly a quarter of participants of the 2024 cohort have secured promotions since joining the programme.  

Dionne Walker, a previous participant, said about the programme: “The coaching sessions were transformative. 

“They helped me find my voice and realise that the challenges I’ve faced are not unique to me but are shared by many people from global majority backgrounds.”

Read more about Dionne’s experience on the Equity in Leadership programme. 

White Rose has recently released resources on mentorship and sponsorship which you can access in our Resources section.  

*A note on terminology  

In keeping with a commitment to co-creation for this programme, the Equity in Leadership Programme team asked all participants in Cohort 1 to vote on the term that they felt best represented them.  

The term ‘global majorities’ received the most votes, as it provides a more positive perspective compared to the othering narrative of ‘minority groups’.