The International Staff Network (ISN) was delighted to welcome Professor Marcus Munaf\u00f2, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, to our latest Community Dialogue on 17 September 2026.<\/p>\n
Hosted by ISN Co-Chairs Bhagyashree Patil and Sadegh Javaheriafif, the event was part of our ongoing series of conversations with the University's senior leadership. Following our previous dialogue with Professor Manuel Barcia, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement), this session provided another opportunity for international colleagues to share their experiences, ask questions and engage directly with those shaping the University's future.<\/p>\n
The conversation explored a wide range of topics, from Bath's forthcoming ten-year strategy to the everyday experiences of international staff, with a particular focus on career progression, representation, belonging and meaningful participation in University decision-making.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead: Bath's strategy and the role of international staff<\/b><\/p>\n
Professor Munaf\u00f2 began by sharing insights into the University's forthcoming ten-year strategy and its ambitions for the future. The strategy focuses on strengthening Bath's foundations, including its physical and digital infrastructure, supporting and developing its people, and building on its strengths to achieve global excellence and impact in education, research and innovation.<\/p>\n
An important theme throughout the discussion was the role that staff play in shaping the University's future. The strategy has been informed by an extensive listening exercise involving staff, alumni, partners and other stakeholders, reflecting the importance of engaging the wider University community in institutional planning.<\/p>\n
The conversation also highlighted the importance of creating an environment where colleagues feel confident raising concerns, challenging existing practices and contributing ideas for improvement.<\/p>\n
Changes to the University's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) governance were also discussed. With the EDI Committee now operating under the University Executive, there is greater scope to translate institutional commitments into operational decisions and action.<\/p>\n
Recognising international experience and supporting career progression<\/b><\/p>\n
Career progression and representation emerged as key areas of interest for international colleagues.<\/p>\n
The discussion explored how international experience, professional achievements and academic reputations are recognised within the University's promotion processes, particularly for colleagues who have established substantial careers before joining Bath.<\/p>\n
Professor Munaf\u00f2 discussed the revised academic promotions framework, which is intended to recognise a broad range of contributions. However, the conversation also highlighted the importance of understanding potential barriers to progression and improving the representation of international colleagues in senior academic and leadership positions.<\/p>\n
Approximately 41% of academic staff and 16% of professional services staff record a non-UK nationality, while international representation is lower at professorial level and within the University's Leadership Forum. These figures also prompted a discussion about how international identity is defined, recognising that nationality alone does not fully capture the experiences and backgrounds of international colleagues.<\/p>\n
Although existing monitoring has not identified an obvious nationality-based pattern among submitted academic promotion applications, questions remain about whether barriers arise earlier in career progression, including who applies for promotion, who is encouraged to apply and who puts themselves forward for leadership opportunities.<\/p>\n
The discussion reinforced the importance of recognising the diverse experiences and contributions that international colleagues bring to Bath and ensuring that opportunities for career development and leadership are accessible to all.<\/p>\n
Creating a genuine sense of belonging<\/b><\/p>\n
Another important theme was the difference between welcoming international colleagues to Bath and ensuring that they experience a genuine sense of belonging once they are here.<\/p>\n
Professor Munaf\u00f2 highlighted Bath's welcoming atmosphere and compact campus as strengths that help colleagues connect, collaborate and build relationships across the University.<\/p>\n
While practical support for colleagues relocating to a new country is essential, creating an inclusive University community also requires attention to workplace culture, everyday interactions and opportunities to participate.<\/p>\n
The discussion explored how even well-intentioned practices can unintentionally exclude some colleagues. Social activities centred around after-work drinks, for example, may not be accessible to everyone because of caring responsibilities, personal preferences or other commitments.<\/p>\n
There was also a strong emphasis on psychological safety and the importance of creating an environment where colleagues from different backgrounds feel comfortable sharing their perspectives, raising concerns and challenging decisions.<\/p>\n
Understanding belonging requires listening to different communities. University-wide staff surveys provide valuable insights, but overall results may not always capture the experiences of smaller groups or the particular challenges they face.<\/p>\n
From inclusion to meaningful influence<\/b><\/p>\n
Beyond creating a welcoming environment, the conversation considered how international colleagues can play a more active role in shaping University policies and decisions.<\/p>\n
Staff networks have an important part to play in this. As established communities, they provide opportunities for colleagues to share their experiences, identify common concerns and contribute collective feedback to institutional consultations.<\/p>\n
During the discussion, Sadegh suggested making greater use of recognised staff networks when distributing surveys and gathering feedback. This could help the University reach a wider range of colleagues and ensure that different perspectives are represented.<\/p>\n
The discussion also explored opportunities to improve transparency and participation in University governance, including a developing scheme that will allow staff to express an interest in observing University committees.<\/p>\n
Together, these conversations highlighted the importance of moving beyond inclusion towards meaningful participation, ensuring that international colleagues have opportunities not only to be heard but also to contribute to the decisions that affect the University community.<\/p>\n
Supporting international colleagues in a changing environment<\/b><\/p>\n
The changing immigration environment and its impact on international colleagues was another important topic.<\/p>\n
Concerns were raised about visa restrictions and the challenges faced by colleagues who wish to continue developing their careers at Bath but may be unable to secure sponsorship after their existing visas expire.<\/p>\n
The conversation highlighted the importance of ensuring that career-development opportunities and institutional support respond to the particular circumstances of international staff, particularly as national immigration requirements continue to change.<\/p>\n
More broadly, the discussion reinforced the need to recognise that international colleagues may face additional challenges throughout their careers, from relocating and settling into a new country to navigating professional development and longer-term career opportunities.<\/p>\n
Continuing the conversation<\/b><\/p>\n
The session demonstrated the value of bringing international colleagues and University leadership together for open and constructive dialogue. It provided an opportunity to share experiences, explore different perspectives and reflect on how we can continue building a more inclusive and supportive University community.<\/p>\n
For the International Staff Network, these conversations are an important part of creating a community where international colleagues feel heard, valued and able to contribute fully to the University's future.<\/p>\n
We would like to thank Professor Munaf\u00f2 for joining us and engaging openly with colleagues, and everyone who attended, asked questions and contributed to the discussion.<\/p>\n
We look forward to continuing our Community Dialogue series with Richard Brooks at a future event and to creating further opportunities for international colleagues to connect with University leadership and help shape the future of Bath. More information here: https:\/\/www.bath.ac.uk\/announcements\/international-staff-community-dialogue-with-the-director-of-hr\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The International Staff Network (ISN) was delighted to welcome Professor Marcus Munaf\u00f2, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, to our latest Community Dialogue on 17 September 2026. Hosted by ISN Co-Chairs Bhagyashree Patil and Sadegh Javaheriafif, the event was part of our...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2006,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2],"tags":[5,7,9,4,10,6],"class_list":["post-62","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-events","tag-community","tag-edi","tag-international-staff","tag-isn","tag-network","tag-staff"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2006"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=62"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/62\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=62"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=62"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/international-staff-network\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=62"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}