LJMU celebrates South Asian and East/Southeast Asian Heritage Months

Celebration event held on campus

In celebration of South Asian Heritage Month (July 18 to August 17) and East and Southeast Asian Heritage Month (September), LJMU held an event on campus.
Organised in collaboration with Moongate Mix North, the event brought together Asian academics, creatives, researchers and the wider community to foster conversations around Asian issues, marking a significant step toward fostering cultural understanding and inclusivity.
Rosa Fong, who launched Moongate Mix North and is a filmmaker and Senior Lecturer at LJMU Screen School, moderated a panel discussion at the event featuring a diverse lineup of speakers who engaged in a thought-provoking dialogue on redefining the term 'Asian' to promote greater inclusivity and address unconscious bias in our cultural understanding.

The panellists included:

Jennifer Lim - Actor and Producer, Creative Director of Moongate Productions
Andrea Ku - Artist, Gardener, Beekeeper, and Director of B4Biodiversity
Lucky Roy Singh - Award-winning LGBTQ+ Activist and advocate against honor-based domestic violence, known as the Mother of the House of Spice
Rashmi Danwaththa Liyanage - PhD Researcher at LJMU School of Psychology, focusing on discrimination and mental health in ethnically diverse communities in the UK.

The discussion was visually captured by Laura Evans from Nifty Fox, who created a graphic illustration of the conversation, designed to inspire change.
The event also featured an inspiring presentation by Andrea Ku, an artist, gardener, and beekeeper, as well as the Director of B4Biodiversity. Andrea, who has studied bee communities extensively, shared profound insights on how we can apply the principles of smart and collaborative working, as demonstrated by bees, to achieve our goals. Her talk, titled "Bees, Hives, and Communities," emphasized the importance of cooperation, the unique roles of each worker bee within the hive, and the crucial lesson that every contribution, no matter how small, is vital. Andrea also highlighted the significance of effective communication and collaboration in overcoming challenges.

Moni Akinsanya, Associate Director of Diversity, and Inclusion said: 

“At LJMU, the richness of our diverse community makes it essential to embrace and fully grasp intercultural understanding. Each person's identity is multi-faceted, reminding us to view one another not as a collective but as unique individuals. In light of recent traumatic events in Liverpool, it is heartening to witness ethnically diverse groups coming together to support one another and celebrate each other's identities.”

Attend future Diversity and Inclusion events and workshops

To find out about future Diversity and Inclusion events and be added to the mailing list, email equality@ljmu.ac.uk or view the 2024-2025 workshops and courses here.