EDI is so woke isn’t it? I mean it is only relevant to…..oh, well, hang on…..everyone! We are now online for the event below on 1 February. It’s free to attend (assuming you have the time and means) and open to all – even to politicians who are concerned that EDI may be getting too much attention and harming productivity.

Here’s the agenda (UK times):

13.45   Welcome

💙 “Setting the Scene” Margaret Bell CBE FICE, Hon FIHE, FCIHT CMILT, Science City Professor of Transport and Environment, Newcastle University

14:00-15.15     Session 1: EDI is our Business.

💙 “Seeing beyond white male privilege in the transport sector” Glenn Lyons: Mott MacDonald Professor of Future Mobility, University of the West of England

💙 “Women in transport technology: a retrospective and some recommendations” Jennie Martin MBE FCILT: Chair Bus Users UK , Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety

15.15-15.45 Networking Break

15:45 – 17:00 Session 2: EDI in Action

💙 “EDI Toolkit” Dr Vi Parker: EDI Training Lead, Newcastle University

💙 “Putting EDI into Action” Facilitated discussion and opportunity to ask questions.

💙 “Way Forward” All

In my presentation I’m sharing what I have come to better appreciate about having white, male privilege. I know some people still struggle with the idea that they are told they are privileged because of their gender or ethnicity or other characteristics. I lived in ignorance of my privilege for many years, with little if any attention paid to such matters in what my formal education provided me with.

We still struggle in the transport sector with some of the basics. Only this morning on LinkedIn I spotted another manel (all male panel) at a transport event. White men are in the minority in the UK when it comes to total population – there are more people who are not white and/or not male. Yet as we know, the transport system in many countries has largely been shaped by white men.

I’ve come to appreciate the stages of competence model when it comes to EDI:

(1) Unconsciously incompetent
(2) Consciously incompetent
(3) Consciously competent
(4) Unconsciously competent

Embracing and supporting EDI doesn’t necessarily come naturally but working on improving that can make a difference. I’m not sure a person can exist consistently in one stage – it can depend on circumstances. But I believe a person can, over time, move their personal ‘norm’ away from (1) and towards (4).

It’s a privilege to be speaking at this event as well as getting the chance to hear from Margaret, Jennie and Vi.

Join us if you are able to – see comment below for registration details.

Thank you to the Universities Transport Study Group for putting this event on and in particular to Alexandros Nikitas and Elena Alyavina as well as Margaret.

#equalitydiversityinclusion