Higher Education, Student Engagement & BAME Graduate outcomes: Two-way Impact of Intersectionalities in the University Environment

The lecture “Decolonising higher education: intersectional, inclusive, and positionality-informed approaches in Modern Foreign Language” explores the urgent need to decolonise higher education through intersectional, inclusive methodologies, particularly within Modern Foreign Language curricula. It addresses systemic inequalities such as racism, Eurocentrism, and White supremacy unconsciously embedded in the Humanities, which affect student attainment, especially among ethnic minorities. The entrenched social construction of race and ethnicity in Eurocentric university environments necessitates advocacy for culturally safe and reflective pedagogy grounded in intersectionality. This lecture presents practical strategies for developing inclusive curricula that enhance student engagement, equity, and employability across UK universities and beyond.