The University of Wolverhampton hosted a successful conference to celebrate diversity in higher education and healthcare.

The Diversity in Action Conference was the first student-led conference held at the University and was organised by the Centre for Health and Social Care Improvement.

The purpose of the conference was to disseminate the findings from a research project entitled 'Mainstreaming cultural competencies and equality in the nurse curriculum' led by Professor Emeritus Mel Chevannes, former Dean of the School of Health and Dr Patricia Bond, Reader in Primary Care.

The aim was also to open up a forum for discussion about cultural competency in Higher Education and use the opportunity to showcase student work.

Dr Patricia Bond, Reader in Primary Care, said "The conference was an excellent opportunity for students to get first hand experience of presenting at conference and enabled staff and students to discuss the live issues of living and studying in a multicultural environment."

As part of student involvement in the conference, four students from the University spoke about diversity in Higher Education and their own experiences. These included Dr Thriveni Beerenahally, who described her recent research into whether UK South Asian people change their dietary habits once diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Speakers at the event included Professor Geoff Hurd, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, who spoke of the benefits of diversity in widening participation in Higher Education. Mr Surinder Sharma, National Director General of Equalities and Human Rights for the Department of Health, described how diversity is handled within the Department of Health and the NHS. Dr Meena Dhanda, Subject Co-ordinator of Philosophy in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Sciences at the University, gave a thought-provoking presentation on reflections of veiling.

Professor Emeritus Mel Chevannes, former Dean of the School of Health, reported some of the findings of the action research project, 'Mainstreaming cultural competencies and equality in the nurse curriculum'. She described cultural competency from the lecturer's point of view and commented on barriers to teaching cultural competency and equality.

The conference on November 16 was chaired by the Dean of the School of Health Professor Linda Lang and Professor David Sallah, Director of Research, Ethics and Consultancy within the School of Health and Deputy Director of the Centre for Health and Social Care Improvement.

University of Wolverhampton