Get ready for an electrifying experience at the 3rd Annual James McCune Smith (JMS) Conference, taking place at the University of Glasgow on  25 and 26 June 2025. The event features a dynamic blend of traditional conference sessions and unconference activities.

Now in its third year, the Conference celebrates the achievements of the JMS Scholars and creates a space for important conversations about Black student and academic experiences in Higher Education. This year’s theme, From the Fringe to the future: Reimagining Our Narratives of Tomorrow, draws inspiration from Afrofuturism and Black speculative traditions, centring narratives that have historically been pushed to the margins but are crucial for envisioning the future.

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Conference Schedule

Day 1 - Wednesday 25 June

09:30 - Registration

10:15 - Conference opens

10:30 - Welcome address: Dr Farai Chipato

10:45 - Guest Speaker: Irenosen Okojie MBE

11:15 - JMS Scholar Presentations: Hanna Haile, Jovita Adegun, Adam Heron, Jacob Simms, Luis Zambrano Hernandez 

11:40 - Break

12:00 - Guest Speaker: Professor Christopher Jackson

12:30 - JMS Scholar Presentations: Liz Chege, Ikenna Njoku, Natasha Boyce, Oyinkansola Peleyeju

12:50 - Lunch/Exhibition

13:50 - Guest Speaker: Dr Sigourney Bonner

14:20 - JMS Scholar Presentations – Aaron Pocock, Adebusola Ramsey, Faisa Omar, Alya Harding 

14:45 - Break

15:20 - JMS Scholar Presentations – Idris Akormadu, Shaun Eganda Jones, Anesu Matanda Mambingo, Adele Oliver

15:40 - Panel Event – Hosted by Dr Farai Chipato 

17:00 - Drinks reception and canapes at Glasgow University Union. Listen to the Sounds of the JMS Conference

Day 2 - Thursday 26 June

09:00 - Registration

09:30 - Welcome Address: Clementine Burnley 

09:50 - Future Making in Black Academia: Veronica Gordon, Paulette Williams. Hosted by Dr Peggy Brunache

10:50 - Break

11:10 - Making Good Trouble: Briana Pegado FRSA

12:10 - Lunch/Exhibition – Across the Archive of Us 

13:10 - Creative Approaches to Community Vitality: Dr Chisomo Kalinga and Dr Mavis Machirori. Hosted by Professor Jason Gill

14:10 - Finding our Bearings in the Future of Sudan. Programmed by Zaki El-Salahi and Umloda Ibrahim

15:20 - Break

15:45 - A musical performance in the UofG Chapel:  Adam Heron, Cristina Dimitrova

16:15 - Closing remarks: Dr Dwayne Spiteri

16:30 - Drinks and food (return to the JMS Learning Hub