Higher education institutions in the UK are often seen as leaders in equity, diversity and inclusion.
Now, Asian women are visible across these institutions. We teach, publish, lead projects, support students, and help keep universities running. But visibility does not always lead to influence, and being present does not always mean being heard.
For many Asian women academics, the reality is more complex. They work in environments where race and gender come together in ways that shape their experiences.
Research in 2023 found that women from Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds are still underrepresented at every level in UK higher education. At the same time, Asian women are often grouped into broad categories that overlook their specific experiences.
This gap led us to organise a British Academy-funded forum championing Asian women in business and management research. The event focused on business and management to bring together people with similar experiences and create a shared space for open discussion. Early career academics, more senior colleagues, and research leaders from 15 UK universities attended.
The aim was simple: to create a space where conversations that are often kept private could be shared openly.
The forum was carefully designed to help participants feel comfortable. It included group mentoring, panel discussions with academics at different career stages, and interactive activities such as Lego Serious Play and reflective art. These helped create a more relaxed environment and encouraged honest conversation.
Shared experiences
The participants came from a range of backgrounds, including Asian women and those who work closely with Asia or Asian women colleagues, and brought different experiences. Together, they described what it feels like to be an Asian woman academic in the UK.
You can be visible – but that does not always mean you have influence. You may not be in the rooms where decisions are made. Values such as collaboration, care, and modesty may not always align easily with academic cultures that tend to reward self-promotion, assertiveness, and visible confidence.
These experiences are often framed as personal challenges: “be more confident,” “speak up,” “network more”. While this advice may sound helpful, it can place the responsibility on individuals rather than looking at the wider environment.
What became clear from the discussions was that these are shared experiences. Many participants described a lack of mentoring and unclear pathways to leadership. Where mentoring exists, it is often general and does not reflect the different experiences shaped by both race and gender.
Leadership pathways are often unclear, shaped not by deliberate exclusion but more by longstanding informal networks and unspoken assumptions that academic progression is self-evident and naturally navigable.
Participants spoke about being encouraged to contribute but not always being included in the informal spaces where opportunities begin. Support was often described as well-meaning but too general to be truly helpful.
This is where higher education needs to pay closer attention. As Birring and Fromageau highlighted, inclusive leadership is not simply about formal commitment, but about creating everyday environments where staff can see clear pathways for growth and contribution.
Universities often focus on what can be measured. We count publications, grants, and leadership roles. But we pay less attention to who feels able to take part in these opportunities, who is encouraged, and who is left to find their own way. Inclusion is harder to measure, and so it can receive less focus. When attention is placed mainly on outcomes, the conditions behind those outcomes can be missed.
There is also a wider issue with how equality and inclusion are addressed. Equality, diversity and inclusion frameworks in UK higher education, including the Equality Act 2010, Athena SWAN, and the Race Equality Charter, show strong commitment. Universities have made progress through mentoring schemes, staff networks, and widening participation plans.
However, these efforts can sometimes feel disconnected in practice. They may focus on gender or race, without always considering how these experiences overlap. When Asian women are grouped into broad categories, their specific experiences can be harder to see, and support may not always reach them in meaningful ways.
For many Asian women academics, this affects not only their careers but also their sense of belonging. Early career academics are particularly affected. They can feel visible enough to be counted but not fully supported or included.
Rethinking support
Participants at the forum were clear that what is needed is not simply more policy, but better support in practice.
They highlighted the importance of creating (structured) spaces where people can speak openly with others who share or want to understand their experiences. These spaces are not about repeating problems, but about sharing challenges without fear of judgement.
Mentoring also needs to be reconsidered. Traditional models, where a senior academic supports a junior colleague, can sometimes reinforce existing power structures. Participants valued more equal and open approaches, such as peer or group mentoring, where people can speak honestly and support each other.
There was also strong agreement that building networks should be recognised as part of academic work, not something done in spare time. Research by Oldridge and colleagues supports this, showing that staff from minority backgrounds need influence as well as visibility. This means institutions should invest in communities that support early career academics, such as the British Academy Early Career Network, rather than expecting individuals to manage alone.
Senior colleagues at the forum also stressed the importance of building networks, working beyond one’s own institution, and developing an authentic professional identity. One participant highlighted the importance of being part of decision-making spaces: “if you are not around the table, you are probably on the menu.”
The forum was not designed to solve these issues. But it did make something important visible. It showed that many challenges often seen as personal are in fact shared and shaped by wider structures.
This could be a starting point for institutions. Looking beyond individual resilience, they can consider how systems, cultures, and relationships support a more equitable academic environment. When these experiences are recognised as shared, they point to wider challenges that higher education needs to address. This includes creating spaces where Asian women academics can be themselves and feel that they belong.
The conversation has started – the challenge now is to ensure it continues.
