Jamaican heads first UK Institute dedicated to EDI

LONDON:

A new chapter in UK higher education began last month with the official launch of the Institute for Equity, University Centre, a specialist institution focused entirely on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

The launch event, held at Porchester Hall in west London and attended by around 90 guests, marks what organisers describe as a landmark moment for social justice in education. Professor Paul Miller, the Institute’s CEO and principal, called the occasion “a win for all who believe in racial and social justice.”

The Institute recently received formal approval from the Department for Education (DfE) to use the word “University” in its name – a privilege governed under the Companies Act 2006. The name change was finalised on June 3, 2025 following the receipt of a non-objection letter from the DfE in May.

Jamaica-born Professor Paul Miller said using the word ‘university’ was a significant achievement.

He said: “To have university in an organisation’s title requires institutions that are not an existing UK university to meet specific criteria, including a firm partnership with a UK university.

“The Institute’s MBA in Leadership for Equity, Diversity and Organisational Development is validated by Buckinghamshire New University. This MBA is suitable for HR professionals, senior executives and EDI leads in any organisation.”

Founded in July 2020, the Institute has worked with a wide range of sectors, including uniformed services, charities, education providers, religious groups, and cultural organisations, offering training, research, and consultancy on EDI matters.

Political and academic leaders welcomed the new designation. Harpreet Uppal, MP for Huddersfield, described the launch as “historic” and a “watershed moment.”

Buckinghamshire New University Vice-Chancellor praised the Institute’s mission as “necessary and forward-thinking,” while Alex Proudfoot, CEO of Independent Higher Education, noted that it is the first “University Centre” among the organisation’s 50+ members.

Professor Miller, who is the former head of education at the University of Greenwich, founded the Institute for Equity, University Centre, to offer MBAs in leadership for equity, diversity and organisational development at the same time as “everything is anti-EDI”, as he puts it.

He said: “Having an actual outfit whose complete work is around EDI [equity, diversity and inclusion] sends a very strong message, especially at a time when it is under attack from the likes of (US president) Donald Trump and (British MP) Nigel Farage.”

Miller, whose research has focused on racism and inclusive education, and who is the only black professor of educational leadership in the UK, says he had no intention of setting up an institution after he left Greenwich in 2020.

He said that he was approached for consultancy work after workplaces looked to boost their anti-racism efforts following the death of George Floyd in the US and the launch of the Black Lives Matter movement, leading him to set up his own consultancy.

The journey from consultancy to educational institution was a natural evolution as he began introducing accredited courses and launched an academic journal, ‘ Equity in Education and Society’.

The institute, based in Huddersfield, is thought to be the first of its kind and has about 50 students and roughly 20 employees, with alumni spanning civil servants, education providers, academics and heads of HR.

Miller says the plan now is to develop the Institute so it can gain university status in its own right, which would allow its students to receive student loans and international students to gain study visas.