From Past to Progress: Black History Month Showcase

From Past to Progress brings together leading speakers, educators, and digital creators to explore how Black brilliance is shaping research, education, science communication, and society.

• Celebrate Black excellence across disciplines
• Explore how institutions can decolonise education and research
• Discover student posters and creative projects
• Connect with staff, students, and guest speakers

Poster exhibition:

Call for Academic Poster Submissions

As part of this year’s Black History Month celebrations, we invite students from Black backgrounds to submit academic posters for the From Past to Progress showcase — an event highlighting excellence, innovation, and achievement across all disciplines.

This showcase aims to celebrate the academic contributions of Black students, providing a platform to share research, scholarly projects, and academic achievements with the wider university community.

Participants will receive vouchers as a token of appreciation for their contribution.

• Submission Deadline: 24th October
• Event Date: 29/10/2025
• Location: ICH, 30 Guilford st, WC1N 1EH

Please submit an entry here: https://forms.office.com/e/6ZX9PakH9Q

Join us in recognising and celebrating the scholarship, creativity, and progress of Black students.

Accessibility & Dietary Requirements:If there is anything we can do to make this event accessible or comfortable for you, or if you have specific dietary requirements, please let us know by emailing:

[email protected]

Info: Kananda Eller is a Brazilian science communicator, teacher, and digital creator transforming how people think about science. With degrees in Chemistry, Marketing, and Environmental Science Education, she advocates for science that is inclusive, political, and rooted in community knowledge. Through her platform @deusacientista, Kananda blends science, history, and culture to ask big questions: Who gets to do science? Whose knowledge counts? And how do we make education more inclusive for women, Black and Indigenous communities, and other underrepresented groups?

In this lecture, she’ll take us on a journey from the history of education in Brazil to the fast-moving world of social media, showing how science communication can be political, creative, and fun. Expect stories, sharp insights, and fresh perspectives on how we might reimagine science and education for everyone.

Info: A French-West African educator and curriculum developer, Maud Waret is committed to feminist, environmentalist, and humanist approaches to education. She has researched and produced podcasts on decolonising the curriculum, promoting Black history, and amplifying Indigenous identities. In this short talk Maud will reflect on on Annabel Sowemimo’s Divided, exploring how racial legacies shape medicine and education, and why confronting institutional pasts is vital for more just futures.

Info: Dr Maria-Novella Mercuri teaches Comparative Literature in the School of European Languages, Culture and Society at University College London, UK, where she read for a MA in Philosophy and a PhD in German Studies and Comparative Literature. She teaches undergraduate courses on European history, comparative literature, art fiction and crime fiction, and postgraduate courses on New Women literature. Maria-Novella's talk will mark the centenary of Alain Locke’s The New Negro anthology, reflecting on the Harlem Renaissance and its ongoing impact on culture, literature, and identity.

Info: A showcase celebrating the work and achievements of students from Black backgrounds, and an opportunity to socialise, share experiences, and connect with attendees.

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Host or Publisher UCL Computer Science