A CAMPAIGN is underway following the news that Chichester University has suspended a unique Black history course of study offered by renowned academic, Professor Hakim Adi.
In a decision which was apparently made overnight, and without real justification according to critics.
The University suspended recruitment to the unique Masters by Research (MRes), History of Africa and the African Diaspora.
Professor Adi who leads the course, and who is the first and only professor of the African diaspora and diaspora in Britain, is being threatened with redundancy as a result.
Professor Adi told The Voice of his shock at decision made by Chichester University.
He said: “It’s the only course of its kind in Europe and was one of the recommendations of the History Matters conference in 2015 supported by the University of Chichester.
“All the evidence we have is that the course is badly needed. It has produced 6 current PhD students for the university and could produce even more if adequately advertised.
“It has recruited and has support in Britain, North America, Africa and the Caribbean and even Asia.
“Then there is the issue of why my post is being tied to this course. I was appointed years before this course even existed.
“So it appears that the university is using its inability to promote the MRes as a way of making me redundant, to close down a course that mainly recruits African and Caribbean students and which focuses on the history of Africa and the diaspora is bad enough.
“But the university also wants to get rid of the first person of African heritage to become a History Professor in this country as well.”
At present, there is no other university or institution in the UK which offers a similar mode of study.
The university did not consult Professor Adi prior to the announcement of its decision to stop recruiting for next year’s course.
The move has shocked many of those familiar with Adi’s work over the years in addition to many others with a keen interest in African history.
Colleagues, current and former students have also expressed alarm at the course being axed and with it potentially Hakim Adi, who has taught at the institution for over a decade and is respected in academic circles for contributions and commitment to his area of expertise.
An open letter has also been sent to the Vice-Chancellor’s office at Chichester University asking for the decision to be reversed, while also noting that Adi’s employment should not be threatened given he joined the university before the MRes.
The letter also argues that the argument put forward by the University that low numbers of recruits cannot financially justify Adi’s post, falls flat, suggesting that the course was not adequately marketed in the first place, despite its track record of celebrated success.
A petition on Change.org demanding that course offered by Professor Adi be saved has already amassed thousands of signatures and is likely to garner many more.
The petition also includes numerous endorsements of Adi with one stating:
“The quality of instruction from Professor Adi’s detailed knowledge and commitment to his students to the careful array of topics makes this course standout.”
Another testimony, one of many reads:
“As an adjunct professor of African history in New York City I have found the MRes in History of Africa and the African Diaspora to be extremely helpful in preparing me for doctoral study.”
Over the years the course has attracted students from all over the world, and has produced PHD candidates and historians who have gone on to make valuable contributions.
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13 Comments
The Russell Group of Universities, which includes Oxford and Cambridge, acknowledge a profound disparity of tenured academic staff of African-heritage and African appearance in academia.
For this reason, the Voice report of Professor Hakim Adi, and his African History course being axed by Chichester University is deeply unwelcome to Voice Readers, and His Majesty’s African, and African-Caribbean, and Dual-heritage Subjects.
This is a deeply disgraceful and retrograde step taken by the University of Chichester. At a time when UK universities are making friendly noises about the decolonisation of the academy this is an appalling decision to axe Professor Adi’s course. He is an acclaimed UK historian who has been treated shabbily.
Ironic, too, coming on the heels of Rishi Sunak’s recent pronouncement of ‘low value’ degrees.
This upsetting decision needs to be reserved. Professor Hakim Adi deserves to be treated with respect.
Good
Adi is a critically important scholar. This is a grave mistake.
Prof Hakim Adi is globally renowned for his research and publications on pan Africanism. He is a foremost authority on this subject.
Much of his research is centred on anti colonial activities in the United Kingdom. Why would a university want to get rid of a research professor of such stature?
This is such a unique and important course run by someone with incredible experience and insight on areas that are of increasing national and global importance, not least since the emergence of BLMs.
If you fail to invest in marketing for a course, numbers will of course not be as high as they should be. Not consulting with the professor before halting recruitment is unjustifiable. On top of both of these huge misjudgements, this is a much needed subject that is extremely relevant to the direction in which our society is moving, and it’s excluding Black students and costing Prof Adi Hakim his job. I’m struggling to find any argument to counter these points, other than an ill thought through decision through the usual homogeneous lens.
I can’t believe this! I applied for this course and got an email that the course is no longer running not knowing the reason behind it.
Why are they afraid of research in Black diaspora? I found many university researching to other ethnics but this is the only into African and Caribbean. Totally unacceptable.
The depth of the Professor’s investigations
Adi and her academic leadership constitute a universal flagship platform.
I attended the History Matters conference in 2015 and it was a great opportunity to meet others who cared about Black history in this country. Professor Adi has been instrumental in making the subject more widely known. He would be a great loss to Chichester University and the great work he does there.
The depth of the professor’s investigations
Kezia and her academic leadership constitute a universal flagship platform.
Based on the comments I’ve read and the fact that I am a black person what the professor has to say needs to be heard by people up and down the country to educate them on what has gone on and is going in the lives of black people. As the phrase says Black Lives Matter
Axing Pro.Hakim Abdi cannot be more untimely at a time when entire nations are gathering winds to globalisation.this gives Chichester a shattered glass look.