Do you identify as a member of a Black ethnic community? Are you planning a career in academia or a PhD programme? If yes, you’re probably receiving guidance from dozens of students, professors, administrators, parents – perhaps with contradictory opinions. Often it can be difficult to know which advice to focus on and what will make the biggest difference in the long-run. This workshop is organised to help you make better long-term decisions.
This workshop will see Black doctoral students and academics discuss their experiences navigating academic institutions as minorities. How have these experiences impacted their career decisions and what role has the interplay between personal, economic and social factors – including ethnicity, overt and covert racism, and marginalisation – played towards their journey?
Topics
- Not for Love Nor Money – Why Do A PhD?
- How Do You Actually Write a PhD Application?
- Exploring Black Doctoral Students Experiences
- Followed by a Q&A/Networking Session
Speakers
Dr Abenaa Owusu-Bempah is an Assistant Professor of Law, Department of Law, LSE. Abenaa joined the LSE in 2017 as Assistant Professor of criminal law and criminal evidence. Prior to joining the LSE, Abenaa was Lecturer in Law at City, University of London. Abenaa holds a PhD from UCL, an LLM in Criminology and Criminal Justice from UCL, and an LLB from the University of Bristol. Abenaa is a Fellow of The Higher Education Academy and an Associate Fellow of the Ghana Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
Dr Simidele Dosekun is Assistant Professor in the Department of Media and Communications at LSE. Her research centres African women to explore questions of gender, race, subjectivity, and power in a global context. Her work has appeared in Feminist Media Studies, Feminism and Psychology, Qualitative Inquiry, and Feminist Africa, among others. Before joining the department, she was a lecturer in media and cultural studies at the University of Sussex. She received her PhD in gender and cultural studies from King’s College London.
Dr George K. Ofosu joined the Department of Government in 2019. He received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2017. His research focuses on political accountability, election integrity, legislator behavior, and the quality of democracy, with a regional focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.
Ana De Menezes is a PhD candidate in Environmental Policy and Development in the Department of Geography and Environment, LSE. Ana holds an MSc Environmental Science from the University of East Anglia and an MSc Development Studies from the University of Antwerp. Prior to joining the LSE, she worked as a research assistant at UN-Habitat and as a trainee Programme Assistant at UNESCO.
Dr Jeffrey Thomas joined the department in September 2017. He received his PhD in Management and Organizations at the New York University Stern School of Business. Dr Thomas conducts research on competition and rivalry, with a focus on understanding how competition influences identity, and how rival relationships relate to cooperative and competitive behaviours.
This event is hosted as part of LSE's Black History Month programme of events and activities. Please note that this workshop is for current and prospective Black students, seeking to help those planning a career in academia or a PhD programme.
The Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa (@AfricaAtLSE) focuses on engagement with Africa through cutting-edge research, teaching and public events, strengthening LSE’s long-term commitment to placing Africa at the heart of understandings and debates on global issues.