Ethnic minority professors in the UK earn less than their white colleagues, according to a recent study by the BBC.

An Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) spokesperson told the Voice of London: “It is disappointing but sadly unsurprising to hear that ethnic minority academics earn less than their white counterparts.”

They also said: “We know that an ethnicity pay gap exists in multiple sectors and we believe that bringing in mandatory reporting on staff recruitment, retention and promotion by ethnicity would be an important first step in helping shine a spotlight on the issue, as it has with the gender pay gap.”

According to the BBC, Russell Group universities pay white academics £52,000 a year, while black and Arab academics earn around £37,000-£38,000 a year, respectively.

The BBC also found that the pay gap for ethnic minority women was higher in comparison to white male’s salaries. White women got 15% less, while Asian women made 22% less and black women earned the least at nearly 39% less.

The Universities and College Union (UCU) stated that Universities must make tackling the “unacceptable” race pay gap a priority and calls on universities to work with trade unions to tackle barriers faced by BAME staff.

Words: Mohammed Hamid | Subbing: Salvi Shahlaie