The research for this report was conducted between 2022-2023 (Funded by AHRC-ESRC IAA and Learned Society of Wales. An initial draft was written in August 2023. The time between data collection, drafting, and publication of the report reflects the rigour with which the authors wanted to engage with ongoing efforts to address inequality within the university. To maintain the intellectual and ethical honesty of the research, this report is an independent scholarly opinion based on the research expertise of the authors and is not to be confused with an institutional position about ‘decolonisation’ and ‘racism’ at Cardiff University .
Executive Summary: This report presents the experiences of racialised students at Cardiff University. Drawing from focus groups, survey data, and material collected from workshops, this study generates and consolidates new data on understandings of ‘decolonise’ work – both what is needed and what it means – across the University student body. The data collected outlines elevated levels of isolation, mistrust, silencing, and feelings of instrumentalisation by students in relation to the University, and the perception that Cardiff University is a Eurocentric institution was common across our different data sets. Overall, racialised students considered Cardiff to be a racist institution in terms of its curriculum, treatment of students of colour, lack of representation of diverse voices, apathy from staff in senior roles regarding experiences of racism, to name a few of the issues raised. To read the report in full screen, click on the pop-out icon on the embedded report or download it here.