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17 January 2024

Funding from The Convocation Trust provides greater opportunities for Black Engineers

The University of London Convocation trust has committed £10,000 towards stipends for summer research placements for undergraduate students on the Success for Black Engineers programme.

The Convocation Trust

The funding supports students on the programme to gain valuable research skills whilst working on a four-week research placement with a King’s academic or PhD student.

Black students experience lower attainment in key engineering subjects of maths and physics compared to their white counterparts and are less likely to achieve a 2.1 or 1st class degree outcome. This contributes to subsequent under-representation in engineering careers, as highlighted by the Hamilton Commission Report, a report launched by Sir Lewis Hamilton, which explores the barriers to the recruitment and progression of Black people within UK motorsport and STEM careers, which start in early life and in education.

Success for Black Engineers is a King’s College London Engineering programme designed to support aspiring Black engineers at school and university.

We are delighted that the University of London Convocation Trust has supported our project with a significant financial contribution. It is amazing that alumni support will be channeled into providing our students with worthwhile summer studentships. We are very grateful.

Professor Kawal Rhode, Programme Co-lead, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences

The Convocation Trust is a University of London alumni and philanthropy-funded trust which provides grants to member institutions for educational and other charitable purposes beneficial to members and community.

The Success for Black Engineers programme includes school outreach and tutoring, peer and academic mentoring of undergraduate students, and wellbeing activities, with the aim of increasing access and enabling success of Black students in engineering courses at King’s College London.

In this story

Kawal Rhode

Professor in Biomedical Engineering and the Head of Education at the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences