Dr Raluca Roman, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics (HAPP), Queen’s University Belfast.
Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities remain amongst the most underrepresented groups in Higher Education (HE) across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, despite increasing policy efforts to widen participation and educational equality. This presentation draws on a programme of qualitative, participatory and community-engaged research examining the structural, cultural and institutional barriers shaping Roma and wider GTRSB access to HE and emerging models of effective practice. Relevant to Assembly deliberations concerning two forthcoming bills – the Race Equality Bill and the 16–18s in Education or Training Bill – the presentation shares academic findings on how HE policy can better account for the experiences of marginalised ethnic groups and how participatory and preventative approaches can contribute to improved HE outcomes.
It brings together evidence from three interlinked initiatives: first, a participatory film I Want to Be A… (2025), developed in collaboration with Roma families, the Education Authority Northern Ireland and community partners, which documents mediated conversations between Roma parents, educators and institutional stakeholders, foregrounding lived experiences of schooling, communication barriers, mistrust of institutions and aspirations for children’s futures. The film provides both qualitative data and a knowledge-exchange tool offering insight into how educational inequalities are produced and experienced at community level.
Second, the exploratory Roma Mentorship Programme at Queen’s University Belfast, a year-long initiative supporting Roma pupils through mentorship, creative learning and sustained engagement with the university environment. The presentation shares early findings from the Programme, which highlight the importance of relational trust, visibility and culturally responsive practice both in shaping educational confidence and aspiration and in providing evidence on how universities can act as active partners in widening participation, rather than distant institutions.
Third, the presentation shares findings from the May 2026 symposium Advancing GTRSB Inclusion and Belonging in Higher Education – a forum for academic researchers, policy/law-makers, community organisations and young people to consider research evidence and insights gained in the area – regarding data, sectoral responsibility and approaches linking education, equality, and community policy.
The presentation concludes offering clear, non-prescriptive considerations for policy/law-makers, focusing on early intervention, cross-sector partnership, data visibility and the role of HE institutions in advancing educational equity in Northern Ireland.
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