Backlash as UK university moves to axe flagship African studies course

The University of Chichester has accelerated plans to pull the plug on its flagship African history course without consultation from its teaching staff or students.

Hakim Adi, Britain’s first history professor of African heritage (Hakim Adi)

Backlash is growing against a university’s decision to axe a flagship African studies course as thousands back a petition calling for a u-turn.

The University of Chichester has accelerated plans to pull the plug on its Masters by Research (MRes), History of Africa and the African Diaspora course without consultation from its teaching staff or students.

The position of course leader Hakim Adi, Britain’s first history professor of African heritage, also faces redundancy. There is no other programme of study comparable to this at a UK university, its students have said.

The petition, launched by a coalition of historians and signed by over 7,000 people, reads: “The University’s action comes as a complete shock to (...) students (current and former), (...) the wider community of historians, activists, teachers and countless advocates of an inclusive history, which necessarily embraces the History of Africa and the African Diaspora.

“To reiterate, the university took this action- suspending enrollment of new students in next year’s intake, without consultation with Professor Adi. This top-down decision comes at a time when we can readily observe how higher education is being weaponised to pander to market forces.

“The marketisation of universities and shoehorning subjects into the sole outcome of generating income for universities is unequivocally immoral and unethical.”

Labour Party MP Bell Riberio-Addy has submitted an early-day motion in parliament on this matter, as other politicians have expressed concern.

Prominent historians including Olivette Otele, Britain’s first Black woman history professor, and David Olusoga have endorsed the petition.

“The news is shocking and an absolute disgrace,” Professor Otele said.

“This is a world-renowned scholar and an incredible programme we are talking about. We are not asking, we are demanding that the university reconsider its plans.”

A number of the course’s students, past and present, have also stepped forward to voice their disappointment with this move.

“Widening the scope of Black history study helps to unravel and unlearn many racial stereotypes and embraces all histories in Britain,” said postgraduate student, Marlene Worrell.

“The MRes in the History of Africa and the African Diaspora course addresses this issue at a postgraduate level and from my own experience, it redefines the conception of Britishness and includes Black history as a body of legitimate knowledge.

“As a qualified postgraduate, I would not have pursued undertaking my PhD, had it not been my learning experience that inspired this.”

University of Chichester (University of Chichester)

The Mres course was launched in 2017 and Professor Adi has worked at the university for over a decade. The institution has claimed that the course is not popular enough, hence its decision to cancel it.

However, critics of this move have said the has not properly advertised it, asserting that the university is attacking Black academia and the cancellation plans are racist at its core.

“We demand answers about the lack of transparency in this process. We want to know why students, staff, and chiefly Professor Adi, were not consulted and the decision was taken out of their hands,” the petition reads.

“It needs to be explained why the University has not deployed its full resources to market the course. Had this been addressed, it would have contributed to increased recruitment levels to the MRes.”

The University of Chichester has been approached for comment.