The IUPAC Global Women's Breakfast in the Cybercafé fosters vibrant discussions and networking opportunities.

The School of the Physical Sciences has achieved an Athena Swan Silver Award(September 2026), recognising its sustained commitment to advancing gender equality and fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for all staff and students.
The Athena Swan Charter is a globally recognised framework that supports and promotes gender equality within higher education and research institutions. This School-level Silver Award builds upon the strong foundation of Athena Swan awards already held across individual Departments and Institutes, and acknowledges the collective efforts made throughout the School to create a culture where everyone can thrive, develop, and succeed.

The award recognises significant progress made across the School while also providing a framework for continued improvement. Over the coming years, the School will focus on four key priorities:

• Enhancing the attraction, recruitment, and support of students from diverse backgrounds.
• Advancing inclusive cultures that promote a strong sense of belonging for all members of our community.
• Increasing diversity within our staff population through the attraction, recruitment, development, and retention of talented individuals, particularly in areas of underrepresentation.
• Strengthening equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) reporting, communications, the sharing of good practice, and the evaluation of impact.

Commenting on the award, Professor Marie Edmonds, Head of the School of the Physical Sciences, said:

“Achieving a School-level Athena Swan Silver Award is a significant recognition of the progress we have made over the past five years in advancing gender equality across the Physical Sciences. Creating an inclusive environment for work and study, one that attracts talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and enables them to thrive and develop, remains central to the School’s vision. This award reflects the dedication and commitment of colleagues across our Departments and Institutes, and I look forward to working with them to implement our ambitious action plan and build on the progress we have achieved together.”

The School would like to thank all staff and students who contributed to the application process and who continue to support efforts to advance equality, diversity and inclusion across the Physical Sciences.

PhD student Oluwatomi Akingbade founded the Black Women in Science network to provide a safe and supportive space for black women to network.