White Rose Equity in Leadership Programme 2026: Recruitment Open
Posted on Tuesday 29 September 2026
Applications are now open for the White Rose Equity in Leadership Programme, a free development programme designed to accelerate career progression for global majority talent.
The programme runs over three days across three months (February, March and April 2027), followed by ongoing post-programme support. Attendance on all three days is mandatory. Join the online information session on Thursday 22 October (11am to 12 noon via Zoom) to learn more about the programme, hear real experiences from delegates, and get your questions answered.
35% of past participants achieved a direct promotion, job title change, or major leadership advancement during or after the programme. 82% rated their experience as excellent, and 91% rated it as exceptional for supporting their learning.
York colleagues who participated in previous years’ programme said:
‘The programme has been a transformative experience. From learning about values and culture in leadership to gaining confidence in my personal brand and dealing with imposter syndrome, I’ve acquired essential skills that I apply in both my professional and personal life. The networking opportunities, mentoring sessions, and workshops have been incredibly impactful, particularly the first session, where for the first time, I was in a room full of global majority professionals sharing our stories and challenges.’ - Kalliopi Keramari, 2024 cohort.
‘I believe the programme can contribute in multiple ways. It is not only about increasing the numbers of academics from the global majority, but increasing the numbers of empowered academics from the global majority.’ - Karisha Kimone George, 2025 cohort.
‘The workshops on inclusive communication and leadership have been particularly powerful. They provided a framework for navigating the cultural subtleties of leadership within a British academic context, which has been incredibly valuable. It created a safe and supportive space to discuss shared challenges and successes with colleagues who understood the specific hurdles that academics from underrepresented backgrounds can face.’ - Jihong Zhu, 2025 cohort.
To apply, you must be an academic or professional services colleague from a global majority background and working at grade 7 or above.