The Society of Black Academics (SBA) is pleased to announce that its sixth annual conference, themed around demystifying leadership in higher education, will be hosted by the the University of Bath.

Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage City renowned for its rich history, distinctive architecture and enduring cultural heritage.

The conference will be led by Dr Teslim Bukoye, with the support of the University’s senior leadership, including the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Phil Taylor, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Marcus Munafò.

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to advancing inclusive excellence and strengthening leadership pathways across the higher education sector, nationally and internationally.

Further details, including speakers and registration information, will be announced in due course.

Leadership remains one of the most consequential, yet often least understood, dimensions of academic life. For many Black academics, pathways into leadership can appear opaque, informal or structurally out of reach.

This conference seeks to open that space for honest dialogue, practical insight and collective rethinking.

Demystifying leadership in higher education will explore how leadership operates in practice, how individuals prepare for it and how institutions can cultivate environments where diverse leadership can flourish.

The event builds on SBA’s long-standing work to move conversations beyond access and representation toward sustained influence, progression and impact.

Across the UK and globally, higher education is navigating profound transformation. Universities face shifting expectations around equity, governance, innovation, and public accountability. Leadership that reflects a breadth of experiences is essential to meet these challenges.

This conference will examine leadership not simply as a title or position, but as a form of responsibility, agency and institutional stewardship. By creating greater clarity around leadership cultures, expectations and routes to progression, we aim to enable Black academics and their allies to engage these spaces with confidence and preparedness.

The conference is designed to benefit a wide range of participants:

• Early career researchers seeking to understand how leadership develops alongside research and teaching trajectories.
  
• Mid-career academics navigating promotion, influence and institutional contribution.
  
• Senior scholars and academic leaders reflecting on disciplinary leadership, mentorship and legacy-building.
  
• Higher education professionals working in policy, funding, governance and sector organisations.
  
• Universities and sector bodies committed to building inclusive leadership pipelines.
  
• Government and partner organisations interested in the future shape of academic leadership and talent development.

Participants will leave the conference with:

• A clearer understanding of how leadership structures and cultures function within higher education.
• Practical insight into preparing for leadership roles and responsibilities.
  
• Renewed confidence to integrate leadership thinking into career planning.
  
• Expanded networks across institutions and sectors.
  
• Shared strategies for strengthening pathways for the next generation of Black academics.

For the SBA, this conference signals a shift from supporting participation in academia to shaping its influence.

By collaborating with the University of Bath, we seek to create a space where future leaders can engage openly with the realities, responsibilities and possibilities of leadership in higher education.