A conversation with Laura Camfield, head of the Department of International Development at Kings College London. 

The DSA’s vision is for development studies to be a vibrant, diverse discipline offering critical thinking from a wide range of views. To realise this, the DSA has undertaken a multi-stage programme of work – partly supported by the Academy of Social Sciences – to understand and address the racial profile and lived experiences of early career academics within UK development studies.

Earlier this year, the DSA published a report on the lived experiences of racially-minoritised early career researchers based on a series of workshops. When asked if the findings surprised her, Laura admitted a degree of sobering realisation: 

“To be honest, I thought all the effort we put into EDI was having some effect – I thought there would be some good practice we could share, things that were really making a difference,” she said. “However, it was clear that the structural factors and the lack of both informal support in the sense of community spaces, and sponsorship at higher levels meant that ECR colleagues were not benefitting at all.” 

“I think at some level I had known this, talking to ex-PhD students about their insane workloads, but to see it identified so clearly as not just a systemic problem but an integral part of the system was quite shocking.”

Heads of Department are notoriously stretched, facing pressures from every direction. However, Laura believes that reading the report should prompt a shift in perspective, focusing on what a leader can realistically influence as a starting point: 

“Think about what you can control – I’m now very diligent about giving feedback after applications, even if people weren’t shortlisted, as I realise the difference it makes. I don’t wait to be asked – if I read an application that I know hasn’t done justice to someone’s experience I’ll reach out and offer my support.” 

She also emphasises the need for mentorship to foster a genuine connection. “I also encourage mentors to be more proactive so it becomes a meaningful role, not just a formal one. Finally, I try to support colleagues to publish and apply for grants so they remain competitive in the academic ‘marketplace’ and don’t get locked into Teaching Fellow roles with low salaries and high workloads. I’m lucky to be at an institution where we have more breathing space, but racial equity should be a basic right rather than a luxury good.”

The new DSA report has been distilled into a short summary, video content, and blog posts to ensure ECR voices reach those in power quickly. While it is easy to view systemic change as someone else’s responsibility, the workshop findings suggest that everyone in academia has a role to play as active listeners and as “door-openers.”

“It’s certainly not just down to Heads of Centres as budgets, HR policies, institutional cultures, etc. are often out of our control. We can hold a mirror up to our institutions if we don’t think things are being done right and back our colleagues when they try to do the same.”

Regarding those who participated in the workshops and now wish to bring these issues to their own institutional leadership, Laura offers pragmatic advice:

“Heads of Centres are generally decent people who care about doing the right thing. But they are super busy and unbelievably stressed. So, I would say keep trying – be persistent and friendly, and don’t take it personally if you don’t get an immediate response. Sometimes you have to hear something from multiple different sources before you realise you really need to do something about it!”