Engaging with Diversity in European Universities

Diversity – promoting equity and social justice to end discrimination and foster inclusion – is the foundation of the Una Europa community. Engaging with Diversity in European Universities, a report by the Una Europa Diversity Council, summarises the work of the Council and its four Action Groups: data collection, research, education, and sharing good practices. The report brings together key findings and recommendations on diversity across Una Europa universities.

Engaging with Diversity in European Universities supports building a more diverse Una Europa, and, by extension, a European higher education space that has an impact on civil society and stakeholders. In it, all members may feel safe, express themselves as they are and are acknowledged as valuable contributors to the advancement of European social, cultural and economic progress and wealth.

The report highlights the following recommendations to end discrimination and to foster inclusion in Una Europa and higher education at large:

1. Centre a common, progressive definition of diversity
   Ground the work of each university community and alliance on the progressive definition of diversity in all its dimensions to ensure a common basis for efficient work on diversity, in each Una Europa University.
   
   
2. Make the most of the Diversity Council
   Involve the Diversity Council in overall strategy work and planning, and clarify its role in the university community and network. Include diversity professionals in developing projects, programmes and initiatives.
   
   
3. Establish specific sets of actions
   Establish specific sets of actions linked to the overall strategy to mainstream diversity and create evidence-based and targeted actions that translate value-based commitments into action. A monitored and assessed overarching diversity strategy supports this mainstreaming process.
   
   
4. Set up regular evaluations of each existing policy and practice
   Ensure routine data collection to generate needed information for strategy assessment. Follow up on progress against established performance indicators and develop tools to assess how diversity becomes mainstreamed.
   

The Engaging with Diversity in European Universities report was initiated under the 1Europe project.