This is an in-person event for UofG Staff and Students Only.  A valid UofG Staff or Student email address is required to book your ticket.  

Join us on Wednesday 10th June from 13:00 - 15.00,  in the Adam Smith Building, Room 487 for a timely and honest conversation on careers and belonging.

Whether you are early in your career, mid-career and searching for something you cannot quite name, or a senior academic who has carved out a place against the odds, this conversation is for you.

Our panellists are Dr Syed Waqar Nabi, Lecturer, School of Computing Science, and Professor Lubna Nasir, Professor of Comparative Oncology and Veterinary Science & Education and MVLS EDI Lead at the University of Glasgow.

They will share their insights and experiences, exploring the barriers, breakthroughs, achievements, and everything in between. From visibility and representation to leadership and belonging, this is a space for open dialogue and genuine reflection.

 South Asian academics have long been present in UK higher education, yet too often their experiences, contributions and challenges remain unspoken. This panel brings together South Asian academics to have an honest conversation about what it really means to build a career in spaces that were not always designed with them in mind.

From navigating institutional cultures and nuances to managing questions of identity, visibility and recognition, our panellists reflect on their journeys with candour and depth. Together we explore what belonging feels like in practice and whether you have found genuine spaces of belonging or collective joy, how can you achieve a secure footing, what gets in the way of it, and  how does linguistic bias impact your confidence in the lecture theatre or during department meetings, how does the South Asian cultural conditioning clash with the self-promotion, aggressive networking, and "bragging" often needed to get ahead in UK universities,  and what universities need to do differently.

The panel will be chaired by Dr Azra Meadows OBE, Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine at the University of Glasgow, a trailblazer in her own right, recognised for her outstanding contributions to UK and international community relations.

Whether you're navigating your own path in HE or committed to making it more inclusive, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. There will be a networking opportunity with refreshments following the panel discussion. We look forward to welcoming you there.

This is a Ferguson Bequest funded event hosted by the Global Majority Network and the Equality and Diversity Unit