[Responsible-digital-futures] House of Lords Convening – Reimagining Sustainability in Higher Education: Leading Through Equity

[Suchith Anand]

Dear colleagues,


It has been 3 years since I had sent an Open Letter to the Russell Group
requesting *Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) scholarships at all UK
universities. *I would like to thank the Russell Group for responding to
the Open Letter requesting scholarships that I published and for the
assurance on their commitment for increasing opportunities for all
students. I greatly appreciate the supportive response from Russell Group
to my Open Letter and for their many initiatives to help students from all
backgrounds.


I had come from a humble background. I was able to pursue my higher
education because of scholarships that I had received from universities and
also because of the kindness and support that I received from many kind
people during my studies.  So it is now my duty to keep the doors of higher
education opportunities open for all.


I co-founded GeoForAll for making geospatial education and opportunities
accessible to all. This will help enable widening STEM education
opportunities for all.  Details at http://www.geoforall.org



Please see my open letters *requesting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
scholarships at all UK universities at*


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/open-letter-requesting-edi-scholarships-all-uk-suchith-anand/


https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/thank-you-your-support-edi-scholarships-initiative-suchith-anand/



*Access to quality education opportunities is a human right. Universities
have a social responsibility. There is an urgent need to scale up the EDI
scholarship initiatives by all UK universities.*


According to statistics provided at Child Poverty Action Group , there were
4.5 million children living in poverty in the UK. That's 31 per cent of
children. Details at
https://cpag.org.uk/child-poverty/poverty-facts-and-figures


Extreme child poverty in the UK is a humanitarian and ethical crisis. In
educational terms, poverty is a significant disadvantage. The link between
poverty and poor educational outcomes and wellbeing in the UK has remained
stubbornly and depressingly high despite longstanding policy concern at
national, local and jurisdictional levels of government. Please see details
on child poverty, education and the postcode lottery at
https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2020/08/19/child-poverty-education-and-the-postcode-lottery/


I am grateful to colleagues in all the UK universities who championed the
need for more full scholarships (at both undergraduate and postgraduate
level) for students from economically poor families and first-generation
students (first in family to go to university). I am confident that with
this momentum more students from economically poor families will be able to
get access to higher education opportunities in the near future.


Best wishes


Suchith


Professor Suchith Anand

Professor of Practice in Science Policy | Senior Adviser to Governments and
International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | Science
Diplomacy |  SDG Volunteer and Advocate

https://spspa.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?username=sa1131

https://ethicaldatainitiative.org




On Wed, 19 Nov 2025 at 11:48, Suchith Anand  wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
>
>
> An excellent convening on *Reimagining Sustainability in Higher
> Education: Leading Through Equity* at the UK House of Lords on 17th
> November 2025.  I represented and contributed on behalf of the University
> of Exeter for this important meeting.
>
>
> Hosted by Baroness Verma, the event united a distinguished cohort of
> senior leaders, including:
>
>
> - Vice-Chancellors and PVCs
>
> - Representatives from over 20 universities, encompassing Russell Group
> and post-92 institutions
>
> - Regulatory and sector bodies such as the Office for Students and HEPI
>
>
> This endeavour will create a unified, sector-wide vision of a sustainable
> University, one that champions equity, thrives on inclusion, and endures
> through purposeful collaboration. The dialogues were profound, open, and
> strategically focused, underscoring a fundamental truth: Equity is not an
> add-on to sustainability but the cornerstone of a thriving higher education
> sector.
>
>
> Delegates delved into how equity can propel:
>
>
> - Financial and operational resilience
>
> - Enhanced outcomes and student experiences
>
> - Robust governance practices
>
> - Inclusive digital and workforce advancements
>
>
> *Next Steps:*
>
>
> Our forthcoming actions include:
>
>
> - Crafting a comprehensive sector-wide report, incorporating insights from
> the event and amplifying the voices of Vice-Chancellors leading equity
> initiatives nationally
>
> - Facilitating virtual in-depth roundtables for each thematic stream
>
> - Showcasing institutions pioneering equity-driven transformations
>
> - Ensuring alignment of our roadmap with evolving government policies
>
>
> This endeavour will create a unified, sector-wide vision of a sustainable
> University, one that champions equity, thrives on inclusion, and endures
> through purposeful collaboration. Thank you to Baroness Verma for hosting
> us, and to Dr Jummy Okoya for leading this important conversation.
>
>
> Looking forward to working together for championing equity and inclusion.
> Together, we are reshaping the sector’s future.
>
>
> Best wishes
>
>
> Suchith
>
>
> Professor Suchith Anand
>
> Professor of Practice in Science Policy | Senior Adviser to Governments
> and International Organisations | Scientist | Global Citizen | Science
> Diplomacy |  SDG Volunteer and Advocate
>
> https://spspa.exeter.ac.uk/people/profile/index.php?username=sa1131
>
> https://ethicaldatainitiative.org
>
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