Ten students secure spots on minority ethnic programme
TEN Edge Hill students are celebrating after successfully securing a place on the University’s pilot Research Internships for Minority Ethnic Students (RIMES) programme.
Minority ethnic groups are underrepresented in research degrees nationally and RIMES aims to give students experience to help give them a taste of working in a research environment.
RIMES projects will run from June to September and offer students the chance to work alongside established researchers, developing skills that will help them develop an awareness of research degrees and careers in research.
Projects the students will support all contribute to the wider sustainability agenda.
They range from using artificial intelligence to automate waste separation, to portrayals of Greta Thunberg in the British press and are all linked to the UN’s sustainable development goals, which provide a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequalities, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.
The RIMES programme is being led by Professor Fiona Hallett, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, alongside Dr Chris Greenough, Researcher Development Fellow and Research Degree Academic Coordinator in the Graduate School, and Professor Chris
Dent, founder and leader of SustainNET.
Professor Hallett said: “We are absolutely delighted to launch the pilot RIMES programme and give minority ethnic students first-hand research experience.
“Over the coming months, the projects our interns are working on will help support the work of SustainNET in tackling climate change.
“RIMES is a fantastic programme and I look forward to learning more about the students’ research work as their projects progress.”
Dr Greenough added: “RIMES will give students an amazing opportunity to carry out an independent piece of work in partnership with established researchers.
“Representation absolutely matters, and this project will offer firsthand experience of working in a research environment to a group of students from minority ethnic backgrounds.
“It was absolutely brilliant to get the students together for our launch event and learn about them, their interests and motivations, as well as the exciting research they’ll be working on.”
SustainNET was established in February 2020 as a network community of individuals at Edge Hill University who are passionate about sustainability.
Formed with the support of the Institute for Social Responsibility (ISR), it seeks to advance the sustainability agenda both on campus and in our region on four interconnected fronts, namely research, education, student engagement and local community partnership.
Another three students will be following RIMES closely under the guidance of Senior Lecturer in Television Production, Perelandra Beedles, as they create a short film documenting the experiences of the interns as they progress through their projects.
The film will be screened at a celebration event to mark the end of the pilot in October.