What is the Impartial Chairs Programme?
Launched in 2023, the Impartial Chairs programme is a sector leading skills development programme that has been developed and is run by Students’ Union UCL to create resilient and reflective students leaders at a global university.
In an increasingly polarised society where we are less likely to interact with people with differing views and perspectives, this programme has been designed to broaden students’ horizons, enabling them to reflect on their own biases and how these shape their views of different people and communities. Through experiential learning opportunities and a bespoke training programme, students have the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of division and conflict; to develop their awareness of the complexities around navigating free speech; to build the skills needed to tackle difficult conversations; and to enhance their facilitation and influencing skills.
The aim of the programme is to equip the next generation of leaders with the confidence and resilience to debate and discuss a range of topics in a respectful and sensitive way at UCL and beyond. Through this programme, Students’ Union UCL aims to increase the number of student-facilitated debates, contributing to a vibrant culture of dialogue and discourse at UCL. This programme forms part of, whilst also being distinct from, UCL’s Disagreeing Well campaign.
We are deeply grateful to the Pears Foundation for their generous support, which has enabled Students' Union UCL to significantly expand the number of students we are able to reach through the Impartial Chairs programme. This increase is instrumental in fostering a campus environment where robust and inclusive debate is able to take place, and where students have the skills and confidence to disagree well. We thank the Pears Foundation for supporting us to expand the co-curricular educational opportunities for UCL students.
For further information about the programme or if you would like to have an Impartial Chair chair one of your events, please get in touch with Talia Bijwe-Alexander, Head of Intercultural Engagement.
