Special launch event in Manchester kicks off third year of Broadening Horizons programme

The Broadening Horizons in the Chemical Sciences programme returned for its third year as more than 100 young scientists came together for a three-day taster event.

Students and early-career professionals from Black and minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds flocked to Manchester last week to kick off the latest edition of the pilot scheme.

Broadening Horizons aims to help the chemical sciences retain more top young talent and was established after our Missing Elements report revealed the extent of the systemic barriers faced by those from minoritised racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Eleven partner companies joined the cohort during the launch event, with representatives giving flash presentations, discussing site visit opportunities and offering tailored advice to the new group.

The reception from those who attended the networking extravaganza was a unanimously positive one, with members of the cohort enjoying the chance to get insights into industry life.

“Coming into the hotel and seeing so many people that looked like me, my first initial reaction was ‘whoa, this is awesome’," said Andrew Obiogbolu, a PhD student at the University of Southampton.

"As soon as I started having conversations with people and started getting to know people over time, it just became very clear that people and companies are now starting to take this really seriously and starting to appreciate more the value and importance of diversity in their places of work, school and academia."

“When I walked in, I felt a sense of belonging without even having to speak to somebody yet,” added Huyen Le, a PhD researcher at Loughborough University. “Normally I'd have to increase my visibility in the room. And I do believe that there's a difference in being heard and being included, but also not being invisible as well.

“My core value includes being your authentic self when you're bringing yourself to work and I definitely felt that I could be authentic coming into the room and then seeing the BAME participants made me think ‘wow, I deserve to be here. Everyone here has a similar background to me, and we are all just trying to strive for the same goal.’”

The scheme has already offered new opportunities to more than 200 young chemical scientists in 2022 and 2023, with over 100 making up the latest tranche of participants.

Several programme alumni were on hand in Manchester, returning to share their stories and help the next generation get the most out of the Broadening Horizons experience.

The tangible impacts the programme has already had were visible, with some of those from the earlier cohorts landing jobs with organisations taking part in the scheme since the start of their respective journeys.

Michelle Mbaire Icharia, who was part of the inaugural cohort and now works in the RSC’s Race and Ethnicity Unit, said: “The drive shown by the RSC and the partners to make this programme the success that it is, it's been so overwhelming and so amazing.

“It's very surreal to see this many companies, massive companies at that, all 12 of them have such a huge interest and want to make things better for Black and minority ethnicity people in the chemical sciences industry. I would definitely commend all of the companies for just being the first to say, there's a problem and we want to fix it.”

Carla Aldington, who joined the scheme in 2022 and is now a medical affairs scientist for Unilever, said: “I could not be where I am without Broadening Horizons. I didn't realise when I sat through the doors on the first day what this opportunity would really give me – it has changed my entire career trajectory.

“I have built friendships and career networks, and I've learnt so much from peers and from some of the most senior people in my company who are part of this programme. That has allowed me within my professional development to become someone who is much more confident.”

She added: “It was wonderful to start being able to have conversations with the new cohort and share some of my experiences. I feel like the programme has evolved a lot, in a really good way.”

The new cohort also enjoyed networking practice, had the opportunity to ask questions during Q&A sessions, and learned about the imposter phenomenon in a special workshop.

Leadership figures from numerous corporate partners joined the proceedings, with several RSC figureheads also speaking at the event. Professor Robert Mokaya, who won the recent RSC presidential election, was the keynote speaker, while both chief executive Dr Helen Pain and Dr Rehana Sidat – who was appointed as an RSC Trustee last year – gave addresses to the group on the final day.

Prof Mokaya said: “It's always inspiring to meet young people, and this particular group has really been very, very inspiring. The questions they've asked me and thinking about the things that they are likely to do when they continue to excel in their chemistry careers.

“For me, I feel like I get more out of these events than the participants. I really love to be part of their journey in this way.”

Dr Sidat, GSK vice-president, added: “What's really important to me is that we create a climate of change for our chemical sciences so that it doesn't matter what part of the culture we belong to. We feel like there is a sense of belonging and there is a place for everyone within the chemical sciences.

“It's really important that we create this culture because if we really want to make a material shift in our talent pipeline, then we need to get behind our words with actions. It's down to companies like GSK and the many partners taking part in this Broadening Horizons programme to really make a difference.”