06 Diversity and Inclusion

Integrating sustainability into our educational programmes, research and operations is an important and necessary step towards achieving our strategic goals. But we are keen to ensure that the process by which this happens is fair and equitable, in reflection of our commitment to SDG 10: reduce inequalities. It’s why we’ve made Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) a priority at EUR. If we’re to become a sustainability leader, nobody should be left out of our efforts to do so, and we should likewise celebrate everyone in our achievements.

In this chapter, we present the D&I initiatives promoted in 2021, their outcomes, and some inspiring stories from the EUR community.

In 2017, the Executive Board approved our new D&I Implementation Plan (2018-2022). Inspired by the university’s vision on diversity and inclusion, the plan is shaped around the values of freedom of speech, the recognition of diversity’s role in enhancing competitiveness and innovation, social equity, and a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and discrimination — if that sounds like a mouthful, just think FRESH! The goal of the plan is to help the university create and maintain an environment that offers equal opportunities to all — thereby allowing everyone an equal chance to excel — and an organizational culture that is genuinely welcoming and inclusive. The Diversity and Inclusion Office oversees several areas of activity devoted to this aim.

Among the D&I office’s many initiatives in 2021, three in particular stand out.

In collaboration with the HR department, it launched 25/25, a policy measure designed to promote female academics at EUR and provide insight into related policies and practices. Its ultimate goal is to have women hold 25% of full professorship positions by 2025.

A total of 100 assistant and associate professors registered for the initiative, with 33 submitting their portfolios for impartial feedback. This was followed by further tailored advice and the provision of information on next steps and/or financial support, a resource for which 18 applied. Nine have since been promoted, while five have left EUR. The first round of the process gave us enough insights to offer the following recommendations:

• Make a regular habit of disseminating information on the criteria and process of applying for promotion to faculty staff. And academic supervisors should make junior academics’ wishes and plans for their next steps a regular part of performance and development conversations.

• Invest in skills training on leadership, managing difficult conversations, and cultural sensitivity.

In 2021, we also celebrated the launch of a grant aimed at promoting equal educational opportunities, called Building New Blocks (BNB). This was an initiative by EUR’s Outreach Programme "Connecting Our Future", and it invites students and staff to submit project proposals that substantially contribute to the aims of the programme and demonstrate potential for institutionalization at the university. A review committee, chaired by Chief Diversity Officer Prof. Dr. Semiha Denktaş, awarded grants to seven projects from the first round of applications.

Given our commitment to including students in the design process of new policies and in event organizing, the launch of the Student Council for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (SCEDI) was only a matter of time. The council is made up of seven students from a broad mix of backgrounds. Later in the year, as part of our Diversity Day 2021 celebrations, the D&I team hosted a town hall meeting to discuss our collective responsibility for creating a safe environment for intimate relationships, love and sexuality to flourish. Among other things, the discussion touched on the subject of social safety in and around campus, individual dignity, and the maintenance of healthy interaction between people in the EUR community and beyond.

Finally, the university is keen to make the recruitment and selection process as transparent as possible, and to identify and address biases wherever they occur. Thus, to provide the necessary guidance to staff involved in the process, the D&I and HR teams developed a toolkit and mini-e learning package. Check them out!

A new round of 25/25 is on the cards for 2022/2023. Keep an eye on the website for more information.

Same goes for the BNB grant. Check the EUR website every so often for application deadlines and guidelines!

If you’d like to know more about D&I projects or want to get involved in one, contact diversity@eur.nl or your Faculty Diversity Officer.