A university in Lisbon, Portugal, has suspended its postgraduate program on racism and xenophobia after facing scrutiny over its all-white staff and controversial course content, according to a report.
The course, approved in July by the scientific council, was offered by Universidade NOVA de Lisboa's law school in collaboration with the Observatory on Racism and Xenophobia. It was quickly criticized for failing to include diverse voices among its faculty, sparking public outcry from anti-racism advocates and organizations, according to Publico.
The director of the faculty of law said that "inclusion and diversity are indispensable conditions for fulfilling the mission of the Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia, a nationwide initiative provided for in the National Plan to Combat Racism and Discrimination 2021-2025, launched by the previous Government," according to a Google translated quote from the outlet.
The director also explained that the course was originally approved with "a diverse and inclusive program, particularly regarding the ethnic-racial origin of the trainers."
Many argued that the lack of representation undermined the program's legitimacy and overall purpose. Instead of diversifying its staff, the school took down any promotional materials of the course and announced the suspension.
Advocate and journalist Paula Cardoso pointed out deeper systemic issues within the Observatory's lack of diversity.
"It's absurd to have a 'post-graduate course on racism and xenophobia' coordinated entirely by white people and, so far, taught without a single non-white person," Cardoso said, according to Reuters.
The university is expected to revisit the program's structure and faculty selection process, in hopes of addressing the public's concerns about diversity.
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