Chamber and committees

The AROS Host contract with the University of Strathclyde commenced in June 2025. The initial mobilisation phase focused on recruitment and building the organisational foundations needed to make AROS a reality. This included recruiting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), wider staff team, and an Advisory Board. Co-CEOs and a senior leadership team were recruited, and came into their posts between December 2025 and January 2026.

AROS is independent of the Scottish Government and is responsible for setting its own vision and priorities. However, the Scottish Government meets regularly with the AROS host team at the University of Strathclyde and AROS leadership to monitor delivery of the host contract and discuss and track progress in implementing the Observatory’s work programme.

AROS has made good progress in its first ten months of being operational. It has developed its vision of creating the conditions in which anti-racism scrutiny, accountability, implementation and monitoring are routine across Scotland’s public sector. This includes ongoing engagement with adversely racialised communities through trusted regional organisations, partnerships with Regional Equality Councils and the establishment of regional Hubs through which AROS will operate, as well as the recruitment of a lived-experience panel. Technical scoping work is underway to establish a digital, interactive library that should improve access to anti-racism evidence; a demonstration version is scheduled for release in the first quarter of 2027 which will be tested out with the lived experience panel and other stakeholders. AROS is also developing an Anti-Racism Maturity Model that will support organisations to embed anti-racism practice and strengthen accountability, scrutiny and monitoring arrangements.

Through its strategic vision and growing programme of work, AROS is developing the evidence, partnerships and infrastructure required to advance Scotland’s anti-racism ambitions. The Scottish Government is encouraged by the progress made to date and will continue to engage with the AROS Host team and AROS leadership to track progress.