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

[Suchith Anand]

Dear colleagues,


Following the House of Lords event *Reimagining Sustainability in Higher
Education: Thriving Through Equity and Student Success*, this webinar
continues the conversation by delving into *Stream 3: Leadership,
Governance & Accountability for Sustainable Equity*.


This webinar will explore:


 • The role of senior leadership and governance in advancing sustainable
equity

 • How transparent KPIs and data-driven accountability support inclusive
outcomes

 • Leadership cultures that recognise and reward inclusive practice

 • Governance approaches that position equity as central to excellence,
risk management, and long-term institutional resilience



*Discussion Question:*
*What governance or performance measure could your institution introduce in
the next planning round to further entrench equitable student success as a
non-negotiable priority for all senior leaders?*


Register at  *https://lnkd.in/eyX3Qbsm* <https://lnkd.in/eyX3Qbsm>


Join this discussion and help shape the future of equitable governance in
higher education.


Best wishes


Suchith


On Sun, 25 Jan 2026 at 12:37, Suchith Anand <
suchith.anand at ethicaldatainitiative.org> wrote:

> 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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