About this Event
On behalf of the African Diaspora Postgraduate Network (ADPN), we invite you to an inspiring in-person seminar exploring what comes next after the PhD: Future Careers, Future Possibilities beyond the PhD.
Taking place on Wednesday 4th December from 6pm in Room BCB 206, Birkbeck Central Building, University of London (Malet Street), this event will bring together Black scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students to reflect on life, learning, and leadership beyond the doctoral journey.
The evening will open with a keynote talk from Professor Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, who will share insights from her academic journey and discuss how Black scholars can navigate and thrive in diverse career paths after completing their PhD.
We will also feature a panel discussion marking one year since the publication of The Black PhD Experience: Stories of Strength, Courage, and Wisdom in UK Academia — with reflections from two of the book’s editors, Dr Wayne Mitchell and Dr Madina Wane. Together, they will explore how the experiences of Black PhD researchers continue to evolve, and what collective action can look like moving forward.
Event Highlights
- Keynote Talk: Prof Louise Owusu-Kwarteng on career journeys and possibilities beyond academia.
- Panel Discussion: The Black PhD Experience – One Year On with Dr Wayne Mitchell and Dr Madina Wane hosted by Dr William Ackah and Dr Hanna Akalu.
- Networking and Community: Connect with members of the African Diaspora Postgraduate Network and the wider Black academic community over refreshments.
Attendance is free but ticketed. We encourage early registration as places are limited by our room size.
Join us for an evening of reflection, connection, and inspiration as we imagine future possibilities for Black scholars and researchers beyond the PhD.
Our host and speakers
Louise Owusu-Kwarteng
Louise Owusu-Kwarteng is a British-Ghanaian sociologist, writer, and educator based in London. She is a Professor in Applied Sociology and Associate Dean for Student Success at the University of Greenwich. Her research explores Black academic attainment, ethnicity, and identity. Her latest project is an animated auto/biographical film, Our Kid from the North of the South of the River.
Wayne Mitchell
Dr Wayne Mitchell is Associate Provost for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Principal Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London. As Co-Chair of Imperial As One he hosts the weekly interview series, Belonging which explores the lived experience of individuals from minoritized groups.
In The Black PhD Experience, Wayne co-wrote the foreword with Prof Jason Arday alongside the introduction and reflections for Part I (The ‘weighted’ waiting game: being Black and applying to do a PhD).
Madina Wane
Dr Madina Wane is a research scientist working in the biomedical sector and the co-founder of non-profit organisation, Black In Immuno. Her interests focus on understanding how the research sector contributes to systemic inequities and how we can challenge this.
In The Black PhD Experience, Madina wrote the introduction and reflections for both Part II (Being Black is not an optional luxury! Struggles for rights and recognition in the white academic space) and Part V (Reflections at the completion of the PhD journey), alongside Finding the Black immunologists in a pandemic.
William Ackah
Dr William Ackah is Reader in Social Sciences and African Diaspora Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. He is also Chair Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race and Senior Fellow of the African Diaspora Consortium.
In The Black PhD Experience, William wrote the book introduction alongside Making space for Black voices and Black visions: the formation and work of the African Diaspora Postgraduate Network.
Hanna Akalu
Hanna is Participatory Action Research (PAR) Training and Development Manager at the University of Reading and previous held roles at SOAS University of London as a Module Convenor, and at University of the Arts London as a Lecturer in Psychology. Hanna is a community psychologist and her research employs creative, decolonial, and visual methods to explore identity and self-definition among British Muslim women. With expertise in psychology, social justice, and participatory approaches, her work focuses on mutual knowledge production, community activism, and disrupting power imbalances to empower marginalised groups and create transformative knowledge.
In The Black PhD Experience, Hanna wrote the chapter Fighting the Power: Challenging the Institutional Discrimination – A Personal Perspective.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Birkbeck Central, Malet Street, London, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
