EAIE & Nuffic Insight Event: Achieving inclusive internationalisation
On Thursday, 06 March 2025, the EAIE launched a new event series titled ‘EAIE Internationalisation Insights’. This series aims to convene a number of small-scale regional/local gatherings and bring together mid-to senior-level professionals, academics and policymakers keen to discuss a key them or topic of current concern. This first edition was organised in collaboration with Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, and focused on the topic of ‘achieving inclusive internationalisation.’ Over 100 participants gathered at Congresgebouw De Vereeniging in Utrecht, the Netherlands, to listen and contribute to conversations on equity, inclusion and diversity.
Snapshots from the event
Stephen Orme, EAIE Board Member, and Annelies van Eenennaam, Nuffic Board Member opened the event. They were keen to celebrate this collaboration between the EAIE and Nuffic and invite participants to open up to different perspectives and learn together. Laura Rumbley, the EAIE’s Director for Knowledge Development and Research, moderated the programme, which consisted of a keynote session and two panel discussions.
Aminata Cairo, independent consultant and author of "Holding Space" (The Netherlands), opened the afternoon with an inspiring and resonating keynote speech. She zoomed in on the "wealth of stories" around us and encouraged the audience not to be afraid to question what they think they know and to focus on care, courage, and humility.
Knowledge is all around you, but you have to put yourself in a certain state to receive it.
The first session, titled ‘Drawing inspiration from experimentation and good practice at home and abroad’ was led by Stella Saliari (Feminist Researcher and Social Justice Consultant, Greece) and included panelists Struan Campbell (Head of Education, British Council, The Netherlands), Eva Haug (Educational Advisor, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands), and Rosalba Icaza (Deputy Dean of Research, Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands). The panellists shared their own experiences and challenges, which included the confusion between internationalisation and diversity and how crucial it is to open the door to uncomfortable conversations.
Diversity is intricately linked to struggle, and we should not hide our struggle.
Martin Bogdan (Policy and Project Coordinator, Academic Cooperation Association, Belgium) chaired the afternoon's second session titled ‘Tackling the hard questions: bridging institutional and student perspectives’. He addressed some of the ‘elephants in the room’ with panellists Marc Ferriggi (President, ESN, The Netherlands), Franka van den Hende (Senior Policy Advisor, University of Groningen, The Netherlands), Marloes Ambagts-van Rooijen (Senior Lecturer, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands), and Anas Kjidaâ (ECHO Expertisecentrum Diversiteitsbeleid, The Netherlands). Statements discussed in the room included ‘DEI is a nice to have, but difficult to justify today’ and ‘Efforts to be inclusive can actually create a sense of exclusion.’
DEI does not need justification. It is already justified by all of us being part of society and having a basic right to it.
The conversation also zoomed in on current challenges in the Netherlands specifically, such as holding people accountable for their behaviour and the need to rely on colleagues during current budget cuts. Dana van Nieuwaal-Stekelenburg, Pedagogical Advisor at Nuffic, closed the programme by sharing a good practice example (Go!ForAll) on how to start a conversation on inclusion within your institution/organisation. After concluding remarks, a networking reception allowed participants to continue the conversation.
Important to note: the timing of this inclusion and diversity-focused event coincides with the publication of the latest EAIE Barometer spin-off report on this same topic, which is freely available to EAIE members via the EAIE library. Meanwhile, check the EAIE website and social media channels to learn more about the next EAIE Insight Event.
You might also like
