Racism and decolonisation at Cardiff University: a preliminary report (2022-2024)

This report presents the experiences of racialised students at Cardiff University. Drawing from focus groups, survey data, and material collected from workshops, this study generates and consolidates new data on understandings of ‘decolonise’ work – both what is needed and what it means – across the University student body. The data collected outlines elevated levels of isolation, mistrust, silencing, and feelings of instrumentalisation by students in relation to the University, and the perception that Cardiff University is a Eurocentric institution was common across our different data sets. Overall, racialised students considered Cardiff to be a racist institution in terms of its curriculum, treatment of students of colour, lack of representation of diverse voices, apathy from staff in senior roles regarding experiences of racism, to name a few of the issues raised.