EUA releases new report on diversity, equity and inclusion in European higher education

The European University Association (EUA) has published a major report on “Diversity equity and inclusion in European higher education institutions”. The report is the result of a wide survey of 159 higher education institutions from 36 European systems. EUA has conducted the research to build a knowledge base on institutional approaches, success factors and challenges, as well on the support needs of higher education institutions.

“Universities that want to retain their high levels of excellence need to be able to attract talent at all levels, and in a globalised world this means being open to diversity,” said EUA President Michael Murphy. “Our report presents key evidence about how universities can and do promote diversity, equity and inclusion. It gives a unique quantitative picture of how universities approach the topic with an unprecedented breadth and scope.”

Notably, the report reveals that:

• there is a growing understanding that diversity is a driver for enhancement of both research and education as diverse environments are more creative;
• there are many different initiatives within institutions, and it is important to connect all these dots between them;
• supporting diversity requires sufficient awareness among staff, both those who teach in diverse environments, those that who diverse research teams, and those who handle administration.

The report is a part of the EUA-led “Strategies towards Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Universities”, or INVITED, project. Through the initiative, EUA and its partners the European University Continuing Education Network (eucen) and the European Students’ Union (ESU) aim to support universities in developing strategies towards equity, diversity and inclusion. They also seek to promote dialogue between stakeholders at the system level in order to ensure that regulatory and funding frameworks empower universities to fulfil their social responsibility.