UEL receives Athena Swan Silver Award

The University of East London has been awarded the Silver Athena Swan Institutional Award for gender equality.

UEL has an ambitious equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) vision, proactive in creating a culture of inclusion and belonging in line with the cross-cutting strategy of social justice within our ten-year strategy, Vision 2028.

Our commitment to EDI is evident across university life, including in recruitment and retention practices, career development opportunities, flexible working arrangements and the establishment of supportive networks and mentorship programmes.

Speaking about the recognition, UEL’s Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Amanda Broderick said, 

As one of the most socially inclusive universities in the country, the University has placed equality, diversity and inclusion as central to the realisation of Vision 2028. Our Athena Swan Silver award demonstrates both our progress and our next steps to create an equitable environment for all members of our community.” Athena Swan, an Advance Higher Education equality charter mark framework and accreditation scheme, recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education and research institutions toward the advancement of gender equality.

In awarding UEL the Silver, the Athena Swan panel highlighted the University’s efforts in fostering gender equality, particularly noting significant measures such as establishing a strong governance structure for EDI. This is the third year that the University does not have a gender pay gap of statistical significance.

UEL has held the Athena Swan Bronze Award since 2017, and this year marks its first Silver Award at an institutional level. Two UEL schools, Royal Docks School of Business and Law (RDSBL) and School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (ACE), currently hold the Bronze Athena Swan awards. The University’s Office for Institutional Equity (OIE), under the direction of its Dean, Dr Jummy Okoya, was also spotlighted for its support of Athena Swan principles by providing funding, logistical support, and advocacy for the Athena Swan Steering Group (ASSG). The OIE is a central force for advancing a culture of equity and respect that enables every individual within the university to flourish and contribute to a more just and inclusive society.

The University of East London is currently the only London university to have been awarded both the Race Equality Charter Mark and Athena Swan at Silver.