RUSI's Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Strategy
RUSI’S Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) strategy is designed to help all employees realise their potential, and enhance the impact, effectiveness and relevance of our work.
We are committed to strengthening our reputation as a fully inclusive organisation, with policies and actions that back up our strategy. This includes the way we shape and deliver our research, recruit and train our staff, and engage with the diverse communities we serve.
What is Diversity, Equality and Inclusion?
Diversity is about recognising the value of difference. It means considering and appreciating the unique characteristics that make people who they are. By embracing these experiences, skills, ideas, knowledge and abilities, we can create an organisation in which everyone can thrive.
Equality is about creating a fair workplace, where everyone is treated with dignity, respect and without discrimination, and where everyone can participate and has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
Inclusion is about taking deliberate action to create an environment and culture where everyone feels they belong, can participate, and are valued for their contribution, experience and perspective.
DEI at RUSI
Our activities reflect our commitment to DEI – from how we engage our audiences and contributors to our governance and staff policies.
We proactively integrate DEI in our communications, content, events and membership approach to meet the needs, interests and aspirations of our audiences, including non-traditional audiences that are often younger and more diverse. We strive to host new, diverse contributors in our publications and events and work to ensure that all RUSI content – events, digital, multimedia, print – is increasingly accessible. We are also doing more to attract and serve a more diverse membership – exemplified by the Next Generation programme.
We also consider DEI criteria in research design, in order to ensure that our projects integrate a range of diverse voices and perspectives and from different parts of the world, keeping in mind the need to include non-elite voices. We will remain inclusive when making policy recommendations, and disseminate the research to the local communities as well as to international audiences. The same principles will apply to our approach to funding and to hiring and employee policies.
Embracing DEI in the workplace will help us attract and retain talented people and achieve a more equitable, diverse and inclusive workforce, where DEI is reflected in our values and embedded in our culture, practice and our individual behaviour.
Finally, good governance is fundamental to our success. The Council of Trustees strives to achieve the highest of standards, which naturally means meeting best practice related to DEI in a modern charity. The training, induction and education provided to incoming Trustees will include information about RUSI’s DEI strategy and guidance, as recommended by the Charity Commission. Led by the Director-General, we will focus on greater diversity in the Council’s membership over the next five years, as well as among the Advisory Board and RUSI Fellows.
