Education, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

5th August 2026, St Andrews

I am a native French-speaking white man who grew up in a working-class household. My identity affords me certain privileges that others do not have, while also shaping some of the challenges I have experienced.

Acknowledging Privileges

First, as a man, I am statistically more likely than women to remain in academia as seniority increases, to serve as lead or senior author on research papers, and to hold editorial roles in psychology journals. I also do not have children, which may further increase my likelihood of pursuing and sustaining an academic career compared to colleagues who are balancing parenthood. Second, because of my ethnic background, I do not experience racism. Growing up in a culturally diverse suburban area in France, I witnessed how being white afforded me advantages that many of my childhood friends, who were and are of North African or Asian backgrounds, did not have. I still vividly remember several of my friends being asked by police to show their identification while we were waiting outside a McDonald's, while one officer explicitly told me that this would not be necessary for me. I also saw how few of my childhood friends obtained the Diplôme National du Brevet (the French lower-secondary school diploma), and even fewer, only one to my recollection, completed the Baccalauréat (roughly equivalent to A-levels in the UK). As I progressed through the French education system and later into university, I therefore observed my educational environment becoming progressively whiter and wealthier. Finally, I hold both French and Swiss citizenship. This dual citizenship constitutes another significant privilege: it carries none of the stigma often associated with the dual nationalities held by some of my childhood friends. It also meant that I had never had to worry about immigration status or deportation until moving to the UK in the post-Brexit context, where remaining in the country now depends on securing visa sponsorship.

Highlighting Challenges

Recognising these privileges is important. At the same time, they coexisted with challenges linked to my socio-economic background, which shaped my pathway into academia in different ways. Neither of my parents, nor any of their 15 siblings completed high school. As a first-generation university student, I was unaware that a career in psychological research was even possible prior to enrolling in my undergraduate studies. I also had to navigate university life without the meta-knowledge of how higher education systems operate or how academic careers are built. For example, seeking research internships, approaching lecturers for guidance, developing mentor–mentee relationships, attending academic conferences, or even building an academic website. I was fortunate to receive a government scholarship based on family income (bourse sur critères sociaux) and financial support from my parents, but I nevertheless had to work part-time throughout my studies to cover living costs. I also took a year off to save money in order to enrol in a Master's programme abroad in Switzerland, where I again worked part-time while studying.

Later, I was fortunate to secure a PhD scholarship that provided a salary for three years, but it did not cover tuition fees. As a result, I had to take out a loan and began my doctoral training with both a modest stipend and the anxiety of entering my professional life with debt. These experiences have made me particularly aware of the forms of classism that can exist within academic environments and of how isolating they can be. For example, when attending conferences, I was occasionally unable to join social activities or remain for additional days because I could not afford expenses beyond those covered by institutional funding. While seemingly minor, such situations can limit access to informal networking opportunities that often play an important role in academic career development. Indeed, many aspects of academic life implicitly assume familiarity with middle- or upper-class cultural norms, financial stability, and access to informal networks that facilitate entry and progression in academia. For students from working-class backgrounds, these expectations can create additional barriers, whether through financial constraints, limited access to mentorship, or a lack of familiarity with the unwritten rules that govern academic careers. Having navigated these challenges myself, I am particularly attentive to supporting students who may face similar structural barriers.

Another challenge I have faced in academia relates to language. As a non-native English speaker who completed all of my early education in French, I entered the international academic environment without the same linguistic advantages as many of my peers. Writing manuscripts, grant applications, and conference presentations in English has required additional time and effort, particularly early in my career. This has deepened my appreciation of the additional barriers faced by students and researchers working in a second language.

Activities to Enhance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

I seek to embed the principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) throughout my research, supervision, teaching, and wider academic practice through a range of practical and reflective measures.

Research Practice

In my research, I aim to consider issues of representation and accessibility wherever feasible. Psychological science has historically relied heavily on participants from Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) populations (Henrich et al. 2010), which limits the generalisability of many findings. In developmental science, participant recruitment is often constrained by practical considerations, with children frequently recruited from populations located close to universities (Doebel & Frank, 2024).

Although similar constraints affect my own research, particularly laboratory-based studies, I seek to work with schools and community partners that enable greater diversity in participant samples. Recent collaborations with schools and organisations such as Edinburgh Zoo have provided opportunities to engage with participants from a broader range of backgrounds and experiences.

I also actively engage in outreach activities within these schools and organisations. For instance, in my recent collaborations with schools, I designed and delivered short, interactive sessions that introduce children to key concepts in psychology and science. These activities were age-appropriate, hands-on, and designed to encourage curiosity and participation while providing children with direct experience of the research process. Such engagement helps avoid "hit-and-run" approaches to research by fostering sustained and respectful relationships with schools, sharing findings in accessible ways, and ensuring that research participation is mutually beneficial. Through these activities, I aim not only to communicate scientific knowledge but also to foster early interest in research and make science more accessible to diverse audiences.

Supervision and Mentoring

An important aspect of my supervisory practice is reducing financial barriers to research opportunities. Unpaid research roles can disproportionately favour students who have the time and financial means to participate. Where funding has been available, such as during my Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at St Andrews, I have sought to compensate research interns for their contributions, helping to ensure that opportunities to gain research experience are accessible to students from a wider range of socio-economic backgrounds.

I have also undertaken professional development activities related to inclusive supervision, including training on supporting part-time postgraduate research students. These experiences have encouraged me to reflect on the diverse circumstances under which students undertake research and on how best to provide flexible and effective support for those balancing study with employment, caring responsibilities, or other commitments.

Teaching Practice

In my teaching, I make a conscious effort to ensure that learning materials and resources are freely accessible. Wherever possible, I use open-access resources or materials available through university library collections so that students are not disadvantaged by financial constraints.

I am also mindful of the importance of making implicit academic expectations explicit, recognising that students arrive with varying levels of familiarity with academic culture, conventions, and expectations. In addition, I recognise the importance of accessibility for students and colleagues with disabilities. I aim to provide materials in formats that support diverse learning needs and to respond constructively and proactively to individual access requirements.

This statement is my own, but its structure was inspired by the diversity statement written by Dr Ashley J. Thomas. I also recommend the book Colonised Minds: Narratives That Shape Psychology by Akira R. O'Connor and Erin Robbins, which examines how the field of psychology has been shaped by historical power structures and explores how colonial legacies continue to influence research and teaching today.

References

Henrich, J., Heine, S. J., & Norenzayan, A. (2010). The weirdest people in the world? Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33(2–3), 61–83.

Doebel, S., & Frank, M. C. (2024). Broadening convenience samples to advance theoretical progress and avoid bias in developmental science. Journal of Cognition and Development, 25(2), 261-272.