Combating systemic racism and other forms of discrimination

The ISC continues to monitor these issues as part of its Freedom and Responsibilities in Science portfolio.

Background  

On 9 June 2020, in response to the global movement responding to the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on 25 May 2020, the ISC’s Governing Board committed to further action on combating systemic racism and other forms of discrimination.  

The statement called on Members and international partners to take urgent action: 

• to gather existing knowledge on discrimination in science 
• to convene a global dialogue within and beyond the institutions of science 
• to agree on additional concrete steps aimed at correcting systemic discrimination in science 

The ISC has worked to put this statement into action through wide-ranging initiatives involving Members and partner organizations.  

Activities and impact 

• In June 2020 ISC-organized meeting with Members and global partner organizations to exchange information and coordinate collective, impactful action 
• In partnership with Falling Walls, the ISC has convened virtual events to discuss efforts to combat systemic discrimination in science 
• The ISC and Nature produced a special series of the podcast ‘Working Scientist’, focusing on diversity in science and featuring voices from the ISC’s global network.