Alumni Hall of Fame

Class of 2024

Dr Shani Dhanda

Award-winning Disability & Inclusion Activist

Shani's activism has led her to challenge social inequality globally, and become the founder of Diversability, the Asian Woman Festival and the Asian Disability Network.

She has been profiled in British Vogue, BBC, CNN, Sky News, CBC, the Financial Times and Global Citizen, to name a few, and is also a broadcaster, appearing on shows such as Loose Women, Rip off Britain, Jeremy Vine on 5 and BBC Morning Live.

She has worked with the UK government and spoken at hundreds of conferences worldwide, including the United Nations, World Expos, and TEDx, and has shared the stage with the likes of Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton.

In 2020, she was listed in the BBC's 100 Women laureate, and the Shaw Trust Power list named her one of the UK's most influential disabled people four years in a row.

In 2021, the European Diversity Awards crowned her Campaigner of the Year and in 2022, CEO Magazine said she was one of the world's leading changemakers and one of the six most influential women in leadership.

This person is a dedicated supporter of the University, a pioneer for change and an inspiration to us all.