Home » News & Articles » 2019 » King's hosts Inaugural BME Open Day event

King's hosts Inaugural BME Open Day event

Prospective students from Black and Ethnic Minority backgrounds were invited to the College to meet current students and Fellows, to garner practical advice about applying to the University, and to listen to an Empowerment Session from spoken word performer George the Poet.
bme_0

On the 25th of June, King’s hosted its first Open Day for prospective students from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Organised by the current BME Officer Tega Akati-Udi, former KCSU president Nina Grossfurthner, and with support from the King’s Admissions Office, the event was designed to address the challenge of under-representation of BME students at Cambridge, and to play a role in ensuring that the University remains accessible to all, regardless of culture and creed. It worked off the precedent set by various student-led initiatives aimed at increasing the numbers of Black and Minority Ethnics at Cambridge, such as the Black History Month Exhibition and annual BME Dinner, which showcase the achievements, successes and impressive contributions of BME students to King’s and the University more widely.

On the day, approximately 40 students from around the UK engaged in a series of activities, starting with a talk on admissions from King’s alumnus Qasim Alli (KC 2012), who currently works as Outreach Officer for the Faculty of Classics at the University of Oxford. This was followed by a Q&A session with Admissions Tutors Bill Burgwinkle and Cesare Hall, who addressed some enquiries regarding personal statements and the Cambridge-specific Supplementary Application Questionnaire. The students then got then a chance to speak with Fellows about their respective subjects and were later joined by current students who were able to shed some light on their academic experience from an alternative perspective.

After lunch and tours of the College, we welcomed King’s alumnus and acclaimed spoken word performer George the Poet (KC 2010), who met the students in Keynes Hall for an Empowerment Session in the afternoon. George spoke about his experiences studying Politics, Psychology and Sociology and how it not only influenced his work as a spoken word artist, but also shaped his perspective and personal world-view. George’s appearance was a great success and the students engaged enthusiastically with his speech, asking a number of pertinent questions afterwards. A video of the Empowerment Session and subsequent Q&A session can be found below.

The day ended with a ‘Demystifying Cambridge' Q&A in which a panel of current students answered any outstanding questions, giving an honest and reflective glimpse into life at Cambridge as a member of the BME community. Alongside the student Q&A, King’s Outreach Officer Caro Schade hosted an information session for parents and guardians, who were able to ask questions and lay any queries about admissions and applications to rest.

After the event, co-organiser Nina Grossfurthner said:

King’s College has a well-founded reputation as a welcoming, academically charged and politically active college. Its high acceptance of state school students, its engaged student union and central location all contribute to the long list of features that makes King’s attractive to prospective students. Despite this, the ethnic diversity of students who apply remains a point of concern, with students from Black British and Bangladeshi ethnic backgrounds particularly under-represented.

The goal of the first King's BME Open Day was not only to combat the statistical problem of under-representation, but also to address the root cause behind it, namely the lack of confidence and support that too often discourages young and talented BME students from even considering an institution like Cambridge as a viable place to foster their intellectual curiosity.

The importance of the Open Day cannot be overstated. As a College committed to rewarding the merits of academic excellence and one that prides itself on the welcoming and open community it fosters, the Open Day signified King's' sustained commitment to its values. Above all it was a reflection of the hard work and commitment that BME students at King’s have shown to paving the way for their successors.

news

News & Articles

Similar Entries

11-469-manorcommunityacademycambridgeuniversity008

King's students go back to school

King's Access Bus has visited schools in the Northeast again.

goldhill_portrait_72dpi

King’s Fellow to fund new support for economically disadvantaged students

A gift from Professor Simon Goldhill is establishing a new fund to support undergraduate students at King’s.

20190215-0123

New funding help for King’s graduate students

Two generous gifts towards graduate students are helping enable students without existing financial means to undertake further study.

kings_campaign_launch_websquare

The King's Campaign creates places for disadvantaged students

King’s has announced a £100 million campaign to improve student access, enhance our capacity as a provider of world class research and to maintain our renowned historic buildings, such as the Chapel.

1

The King’s E-Lab welcomes students from five different Colleges

A total of 42 participants will form the third cohort of the E-Lab programme, designed to support students of all disciplines in developing sustainable and ethical projects with a positive social and environmental impact.

 

e-lab_2024_news_image_2

The King’s E-Lab welcomes its 2024-2025 cohort of residential students

This year’s cohort is formed by students from seven Cambridge Colleges and from a wide range of subjects.

img_8454

King's PhD students win Wolfson Enterprise Competition

Amy Rochford and June Park have won First Prize for their company Lecta, harnessing flexible bio-electronic technology for use in neural devices.

tompickard

Four students recognised with the Provost’s Prize

The Provost's Prize has been awarded to one graduate and three undergraduate students who have made a significant contribution to the College community during their time at King's.

Follow us on Instagram

View more