UK university courses on race and colonialism facing axe due to cuts

Last month, Booker prize-winner Bernardine Evaristo criticised the “amputation” of the Black British literature master’s course at Goldsmiths University in London, asking them to reconsider scrapping the “pioneering” subject.

“The MA in Black British literature shouldn’t be seen as dispensable but as an essential course that is intellectually and culturally enriching for academia, the college and society,” she said.

Last year, the MRes on the history of Africa and the African diaspora at Chichester University was cut and the course leader, Prof Hakim Adi, lost his job.

Prof Hakim Adi lost his job as leader of Chichester University’s history of Africa and the African diaspora master’s course after funding cuts.

She said: “Arts, culture, and humanities courses are really vital in terms of educating groups of people to make sure that understanding of these topics [such as race, colonialism and feminism] are alive.”

Goldsmiths said: “We’re proud to have widened scholastic learning with the introduction of the MAs in Black British literature and queer history and are committed to both protecting and enhancing arts and humanities subjects in the best way we can.”