Shames (MBPsS) completed a BSc (Hons) in Psychology at the University of Bradford, an MSc in Organizational Psychology at the Leeds University Business School and is currently undertaking his PhD Studentship at Leeds Trinity University. 

Education should be a fundamental right for everyone, regardless of their class, ethnicity, religion or gender. Being a strong advocate for equality, diversity and inclusion, I believe that everyone is not born equal and depending on the intersectionality between ethnicity and social class, people are not given the same opportunities to succeed in life. Therefore, my PhD project is identifying the barriers BAME students face when applying to university and the institutional barriers that exist in higher education that can hinder these students sense of connectedness and retention. 

My role as a Graduate Teaching Assistant involves a particular emphasis on Race Equality as well as other protected characteristics at Leeds Trinity. Within this role I am undertaking research and developing an action plan addressing institutional racism, with a leading role in writing the submission for the Race Equality Charter.