DOZENS of former Oxford University students have come together to show talented young black people that race should be no barrier to succeeding at one of the world's top universities.

Inspired by the recent #BlackExcellence campaign given prominence by students at Yale and Cambridge, Oxford alumni from a host of fields gathered for a photoshoot in London aimed at encouraging future generations of leading black students in the UK.

Samuel Gebreselassie, an Oxford Philosophy, Politics and Economics graduate, is one of the figures behind the initiative.

He said: "The Oxford Black Alumni Network was founded following a campaign to highlight the inspiring and varied achievements of Oxford alumni with black African and Caribbean heritage.

"This campaign aims to address the lack of visible, educated, successful black people in high-profile places by documenting the stories and achievements of a number of black alumni. It will also show that academic success translates into success in one's chosen career path."

Among the alumni who took part in the photoshoot were representatives from the fields of academia, entrepreneurship, law, media, technology, the arts, and sport.

The formal network that has grown out of the campaign will connect black alumni of the University and involve them in projects such as mentoring and buddying schemes for former, current and aspiring Oxford students.