Professor Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, Associate Dean, Student Success, Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences, University of Greenwich.

My name is Professor Louise Owusu-Kwarteng. I am an Associate Dean for Student Success at the University of Greenwich. This role entails strategic leadership (e.g. development and roll out of initiatives) which enhance student success and overseeing student wellbeing. I have had a number of other roles since I have been at the University, ranging from lecturer to programme leader and inaugural Undergraduate Student Research Director. As I progress, I draw on experience from each of these roles. My research and the work that I do aligns very closely with the work and values of the BME ECR conference, particularly as it relates to reducing awarding differences between Global Majority and White Students and reframing deficit narratives about our outcomes. 

When I met Prof Bernadine in October 2016, at a conference hosted by two local universities, I advocated for the reframing of narratives about Global Majority students and provided some solutions. However, the audience was not very receptive to this, so I was slightly despairing, although I had resolved to continue what I was doing. Thankfully, after a discussion with Prof Bernadine, my hope was restored, in that (to quote one of my favourite tracks from Alice Deejay’s Who Needs Guitars Anyway album). I was not the ‘lonely one.’ There were others who had the same values as me. 

Some years later in 2018, I attended one of the conferences, and in, 2019 Prof Bernardine invited me to speak. I was bubbling that day, despite seeing s media personality that I do not like, on my way in. I shared my experience as a then senior lecturer, who was waiting for the outcome of her application for Associate Professor. I remember reflecting on ‘interesting’ and intersectional dynamics, especially in my Programme Leader/Academic Role. I was, for a long time the only Black member of staff, until Professor Tracey Reynolds joined our team. Age was also a factor, because I was the youngest team member, which had its benefits (e.g. lots of energy and capacity to work – which I still have) and challenges (e.g. gaining respect). As a teacher/academic, I taught many students from African backgrounds like me, and quite a lot were older than me by country miles. I was referred to as ‘small geh’ by some! Therefore, figuring out how to address them, given our emphasis on seniority (e.g did I call them Aunty/Uncle or Gifty-Godson?), was, what Martina Cole would call ‘a melon scratcher’ (conundrum). 

With all this said, sharing my experiences, and hearing others at this and subsequent BME conferences, and this year as a 10 for 10 case study member was a real eye opener for many reasons. As noted previously, ECRS, longstanding Black Academics and upcoming stars really reinforced the point that I made earlier, that we, as Global Majority scholars are successful. However, as we heard in the panels, not all roads to success are smooth, because many experience barriers from institutions, society, and sadly sometimes our own communities. 

A famous quote by my Ashanti people is that: ‘the child who is not embraced by their village will burn it down to feel its warmth’, However, BME ECR conference, is a warm and inviting space/community, which embraces and uplifts people, so they don’t and can’t become arsonists. Instead, they elevate and often achieve their goals. and keep it real as they go. And as my dad, Mr Owusu-Kwarteng (the good Kwarteng who can manage economic affairs), says…’there will be more.’