LJMU Events and Appointments

This session will be led by the ‘Clues in the Cues’ Project Team - Professor Amos Fatokun, Dr Bukola Fatokun and Dr Yomi Benson. This initiative, funded by the DI Fund 2023-2024, aimed to document and contextualise non-Western socio-cultural norms and values and create awareness of their influence on how students from such backgrounds learn, relate and seek support, in order to better support such students and enhance their student experience

To empower participants to be able to address the challenge, this interactive workshop will use a combination of short talks, role plays, animation videos, quizzes, and questions and answers to achieve the following:

• Increase awareness of cultural diversity.
• Help identify and correctly interpret socio-cultural clues.
• Enhance interpersonal communication.
• Promote cultural competence in academic and social contexts.
• Address and reduce cultural bias.

By the end of the workshop, participants should:

• Be able to identify the impact of cultural backgrounds on learning and the student experience
• Feel more confident interacting with and supporting students and other individuals within the university who are from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Be able to identify and adapt to cultural clues in classroom or social interactions.
• Be able to appreciate some of the university’s initiatives to improve socio-cultural awareness in a holistic, collaborative, and evidence-based manner.
• Be able to better contribute to a university environment that values and respects cultural diversity.

This set of objectives helps align the workshop with the broader goal of building an inclusive and culturally aware university community.

The Diversity and Inclusion Team have planned a session with Advance HE on, 'Addressing Antisemitism in Higher Education'.

This session is designed to equip university staff with the knowledge and skills to call out antisemitism on campus and support their Jewish students, colleagues and staff members. Advance HE is a charity that works with higher education institutions to improve the experience for students, staff, and society.

This session will start with a brief introduction to antisemitism and its historical context, covering: 

• Overview of the experiences of Jewish individuals in the UK.
• Understanding Antisemitism in Higher Education 

Interactive presentation covering:

• The IHRA definition of antisemitism. 
• Recent data on antisemitism within UK universities. 
• The impact of antisemitism on campus life, career progression, and mental health for students and staff. 

Case Studies: Lived Experiences and Impact

• Real-life case studies highlighting the impact of antisemitism on Jewish staff and students.
• Interactive activities to explore the effects of antisemitism, featuring personal testimonies to humanise the challenges faced by Jewish individuals in educational environments.

Practical Steps to Fostering Inclusion 

• Practical examples of positive behaviors to promote inclusion, including:
• Allyship/equity accomplice practices.
• Active bystander strategies.
• Signposting to internal LJMU processes and support mechanisms to address antisemitism and promote inclusion.