13th March 2020

Dr Omar Khan steps down as Director of the Runnymede Trust

Director of the Runnymede Trust, Dr Omar Khan has announced he will be leaving the race equality think tank in May 2020, after six years of leading the organisation.

The Runnymede Trust’s Board of Trustees has begun the process of recruiting for a new Director. Dr Khan is leaving to pursue a new opportunity, as Director of the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO).

Dr Khan has played a central role in the Runnymede Trust’s key achievements in challenging race disparities and all forms of racism over the last five years.

These include working behind the scenes to bring the injustices of the Windrush scandal to public attention, developing award-winning education resource, Our Migration Story, highlighting the disproportionate impact of austerity policies on black and ethnic minority women and leading groundbreaking research into race and class inequalities and Islamophobia.

Until the appointment of Dr Khan’s successor as Director, the Runnymede Trust’s committed team will be led by Deputy Director, Dr Zubaida Haque.  
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Dr Omar Khan said:  

I am hugely grateful to have served as the Runnymede Trust’s Director for the last six years, and to have worked for the organisation for well over a decade. I’m particularly proud of the Runnymede Trust’s work in exposing the injustices of Windrush and demonstrating the impact of Treasury decisions on black and ethnic minority women, as well as the organisation’s important research and analysis of Islamophobia, and race and class inequality, in 21st century Britain.”  

Our work remains as vital as ever, and I am very proud of the many ways in which the Runnymede Trust has challenged racism and highlighted race inequality since our founding over 50 years ago. I want to thank the board, our funders, and most importantly current and past colleagues for their enormous support and commitment to me and the organisation over these many years.

I am delighted to be taking up the role of TASO’s director. Improving student access and outcomes for under-represented groups in higher education is a longstanding challenge in Britain, and one I look forward to tackling with TASO’s team.

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Sir Clive Jones CBE, Chairman of the Runnymede Trust's Board said:

We are very sorry to lose Omar from the Runnymede Trust. He has been an inspirational director, campaigner and spokesman for race equality for nearly two decades. The Windrush scandal would not have been brought to the British public’s attention without Omar’s tireless work behind the scenes. Since taking the reins of the Runnymede Trust in 2014, Omar has developed the organisation and shown an unequivocal commitment to challenging all forms of racism.

He has been integral to Runnymede's interventions and research addressing Islamophobia, child poverty in black and ethnic minority communities, and race and class inequality, as well as playing a key role in the development of award-winning digital education resource, Our Migration Story.

Omar will be missed, but I am pleased he is staying in the sector and delighted he will be leading the Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO).

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