University of Chichester and closure of Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course

Early day motion 1514, tabled 19 July 2023 by Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour). Signed by 9 members.

That this House expresses its disappointment at the recent announcement by the University of Chichester that they have suspended all recruitment to the Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course; notes with regret that this decision will not only deprive students of the opportunity to study a unique course that is not offered by any other university institution in the UK, but also places Professor Hakim Adi, the first person of African heritage to made a history professor in Britain, and this country's only Professor of the History of Africa and the African Diaspora, at risk of redundancy; Is disappointed that the University of Chichester has chosen to tie Professor Adi’s employment to the Masters by Research, despite him being in post for several years before the course began; recognises that academic research into African History is an important form of reparatory justice, and is the only kind of reparatory justice presently available in the UK; also notes that this decision will disproportionately impact African and Caribbean students who make up the majority of students recruited to this course, and thus will negatively impact the number of African and Caribbean researchers trained in African studies; therefore calls on the University of Chichester to reconsider their decision to suspend the Masters by Research History of Africa and the African Diaspora course and the wider impact of this; and further calls on the University to retract the threat of redundancy to Professor Adi.

Signatures by party: Labour 8, Independent 1.