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In this D&I NEOlife event, Elin Weiss, Equal Rights and Equality Advisor at Örebro University, and Stefan Karlsson, Pedagogical Developer at Örebro University, discussed the topic of accessibility in higher education. The discussion had its basis in a course that Stefan and Elin are responsible for with some examples of content aimed at teachers in order to support accessible education for students. The event also included a demonstration of the accessibility tool called Ally.

The University of Salerno presented the musical “Trotula e il Giardino Incantato.” The evening offered a unique intersection of history, culture, and inclusion, blending historical fact with vibrant fantasy. The story follows a young, inquisitive Trotula through a magical reimagining of the Salerno Medical School. As she explores an “Enchanted Garden”, a metaphor for Salerno’s famous Giardino della Minerva, she uncovers the secrets of medicinal herbs and learns to overcome prejudice through knowledge and compassion. To ensure global accessibility, the performance was streamed as a NEOlife Event, featuring the original Italian dialogue with multi-language subtitle options.

The webinar dealt with the professional integration of refugees in France, a meeting with Eléonore Germain, Head of Development at the Kodiko association. The Kodiko association aims to promote the professional integration of refugees in France through a refugee-employee co-training programme.
The ‘Inclusion at Work and Management’ chair is supported by the Vallorem laboratory and IAE Tours Val de Loire, and backed by the Rabelais Foundation.
This webinar is organised as part of the ‘IWM Chair Meetings’ cycle, which takes place every two months. The webinars in this series are aimed at professionals and aim to share best practices around professional inclusion.

The University of Salerno brought together representatives from all nine NEOLAiA Universities to foster a deeper connection across our European network. The session focused on showcasing a diverse range of best practices in inclusion and diversity, highlighting successful initiatives from each partner institution. By sharing these practical insights, the group aimed to strengthen their collective impact and promote more inclusive campus environments. This virtual exchange served as a vital platform for cross-border collaboration and the continued advancement of the shared institutional values.

The University of Nicosia presented their research and insights on the topic “Diversity and Inclusion in the Metaverse”. The workshop explored the critical intersection of digital innovation and social equity, focusing on the challenges of fostering inclusion within the Metaverse. During the workshop it was discussed how current hardware limitations and high costs create barriers to accessibility to such hardware for many parts of society. The workshop highlighted significant research gaps in cognitive and sensory accessibility and called for more independent empirical studies to prevent the widening of the digital divide. Pointing out that to achieve a truly inclusive virtual environment requires the simultaneous optimization of power, performance, and affordability to ensure that users of all abilities can participate safely and authentically.

The webinar dealt with the topic of living with endometriosis at work, a meeting with Ameline Condamine, volunteer president of EndoFrance. EndoFrance is the French association for the fight against endometriosis, providing support, information and action. According to the EndoVie survey published in 2020, 65% of women suffering from this disease acknowledge a negative impact on their daily professional life. This discussion addressed solutions for better reconciling endometriosis and professional life.
The ‘Inclusion at Work and Management’ chair is supported by the Vallorem laboratory and IAE Tours Val de Loire, and backed by the Rabelais Foundation. This webinar was organised as part of the ‘IWM Chair Meetings’ cycle, which takes place every two months. The webinars in this series are aimed at professionals and aim to share best practices around professional inclusion.

The Student Services Department invited students to a festive evening at the Maison des Etudiants. To enter the festive season, international students were invited to join together for an evening of shared meals, board games and movies. The ugly jumper competition was the highlight of an evening full of surprises.

„Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava opened the floor for Erasmus students to share their unique experience as international students in Romania. “Through Our Eyes” offered Erasmus students an informal, safer space to connect with each other and contribute to developing a more inclusive experience for international students coming to USV in the future. Participants shared their experiences and insights into life as an international student through storytelling, group discussions and guided reflections. Together, they explored their perceptions of university life and the local community as well as experiences that made them feel welcome but maybe also challenged them, collecting suggestions for improvement to better support future international students.

As part of the 25th anniversary of Scholars at Risk, speakers from multiple European countries and New Zealand were invited to join the panel discussion at Örebro University. Defending academic freedom and the right to free research, Scholars at Risk has worked on protecting vulnerable researchers who are threatened due to their identity, work or opinions for 25 years. The “Truth Matters” event connected the Scholars at Risk panel discussions with the Mis(sing) Information conference, sharing insights from the research project led by Bielefeld University, Örebro University, and the University of Canterbury. The shared panel discussion focused on the matters of democracy, truth and academic freedom.

Šiauliai’s D&I NEOlife Event “Exceptionally Different” offered participants an opportunity to experience how prejudice and stereotypes influence everyday life during conversations, when making decisions and in team processes.
Participants were encouraged to better understand how different aspects of one’s identity, diverse experiences and nuances of communication shape our interactions. The session provided participants with the opportunity to reflect on personal bias and stereotypes, to analyse the underlying complexity of interactions and make informed decisions. Altogether, the session sensitised participants to the importance of inclusion not only in professional settings but in community life overall.

Carolina Nordström, Senior Advisor in Gender Statistics at Statistics Sweden, shared insights into equality statistics and intersectional data from a Swedish perspective – with international and European reflections added in. She explored what it really means to measure discrimination, how personal and sensitive data can (or cannot) be used, and the challenges that arise when trying to capture intersectionality in statistics. A great opportunity to learn more about why intersectional data matters and how it shapes our understanding of equality.

We were excited to share a meaningful D&I NEOlife event taking place at Bielefeld University. Menstrual and menopausal health is often overlooked, yet it shapes daily life, wellbeing, and participation for many people in our university communities. This event brought those experiences into the open – through voices from students, health professionals, and equality advocates. From early menopause to navigating menstrual health at work, and contributing to a new ISO standard, the conversation promised honest insights and new perspectives. Participants later had the chance to reflect together with the organisers from Bielefeld University. At NEOLAiA, we were proud to see our alliance creating spaces where topics like this can be talked about openly, respectfully, and with care.

The Co-Creation Lab “Diversity and Innovation” brought together participants from academia, industry, and higher education to jointly explore new approaches for creating a more diversity-oriented working environment.
The workshop opened with three concise impulse talks:
A researcher discussed the relationship between diversity and innovative capacity; a company representative highlighted diversity as a strategic advantage; and a student voice shared insights into what young talents expect from inclusive workplaces.
In the second part of the event, interdisciplinary teams worked on developing creative solutions to real-world challenges in the field of Diversity & Inclusion. The results were then presented in a final pitch and feedback session, where teams introduced their ideas and engaged in an open discussion.

The #ThinkTankOWL in Bielefeld organized its first Innovation Festival. NEOLAiA WP3 Diversity & Inclusion showcased the Best-Practice Gallery and showed how diversity & inclusion is lived across the nine European universities who are part of NEOLAiA. From personal stories to a digital slideshow – the interactive gallery Diversity in Action made visible how universities foster inclusion and embrace diversity in everyday practices.

In this seminar, Dr. Brennan introduced participants to the topic of “Genital coevolution and the overlooked female”. The researcher who integrated a gender perspective into biological research within this seminar studies the functional morphology of genitalia in vertebrates to understand their complex evolution. She is interested in coevolution because the mechanical interaction of genitalia suggests that male and female must fit together to make copulation possible, however, her work has highlighted the gaps in our understanding of female genitalia. She has worked with birds, dolphins, bats, sharks, skates and more recently alpacas and snakes, discovering amazing adaptations in all these groups.

In connection with Pride Week, Örebro University brought together 35 participants from student communities, academia, civil society, parent groups, and political representatives. The event took place at the Associations’ House in Örebro, where multiple experts presented their research. The presentations and subsequent discussions addressed topics ranging from the historical development of trans activism and the integration of LGBTQI individuals in professional environments to biological perspectives on queerness, including the question of whether queer behaviours exist in the animal world.
The event underscored the importance of visibility, inclusion, and the exchange of knowledge, while also highlighting the positive experiences and resilience of minority communities. Through its high level of engagement and the diversity of perspectives shared, the NEOlife event demonstrated how academic institutions and broader society could cooperate to promote equality and mutual understanding.

Dr. Elisabeth Becker-Topkara of Heidelberg University led through an evening discussing the University as a space of trust, inviting participants to speak and listen to one another. She addressed the role of universities as spaces for communication and dialogue, even in situations marked by profound differences of opinion, particularly in relation to the entrenched positions surrounding the Middle East conflict. Dr. Becker-Topkara was introduced as a Freigeist Fellow at the Max Weber Institute for Sociology at Heidelberg University and a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Cultural Sociology at Yale University. Her research focuses on Jewish-Muslim relations in Europe and the United States.

Doctoral Researchers’ Day aimed at doctoral candidates and anyone considering pursuing a doctorate. Regardless of the field of study or level of experience, the event offered concise information and a wide range of insights into all phases of doctoral studies. The day provided an opportunity to discuss topics relevant to doctoral studies, to network across faculty boundaries, and to learn about interdisciplinary aspects of doctoral studies. Doctoral Researchers’ Day was organised by the Graduate Centre at Bielefeld University.

On 27 May, the 14th nationwide Diversity Day took place. This year’s motto was ‘When diversity wins, Germany wins’. Companies and institutions decided to take part in the Diversity Day. Bielefeld University participated in the Diversity Day and expressed its support for an appreciative and prejudice-free work and study culture as well as a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

The University of Jaén organised a roundtable discussion on migration from a female perspective at the Old Teacher Training School. The event provided in-depth reflections on issues related to immigration, literature, and education, and formed part of the broader programme.

Ostrava University invited participants to experience rhythm and resistance. Guest Kimia Bani introduced participants to the “Drumming for Change” event revolving around female percussionists and community empowerment. The Iranian activist and percussionist shared her journey through community music and activism in Iran – where drumming became both an expressive outlet and a powerful tool for resilience, creativity, and solidarity. This event was part of the 18th International Spring School of Social Work.

Ostrava University hosted “Baraye” – A Song of Protest and Hope. Participants had the chance to experience the story behind one of the most powerful protest songs of our time: “Baraye” by Shervin Hajipour. The song is a symbol of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in Iran. Special guest Kimia Bani, an Iranian percussionist and activist, invited participants to explore how music becomes a voice of resistance and collective hope.

During the vibrant Career Festival a panel discussion on the topic of “Diversity as a Competitive Advantage: A panel discussion not only for teachers and experts”, was hosted by the University of Ostrava. The event aimed to discuss how diversity provides a competitive edge in workplaces. This discussion was open to a wide audience and did not just address teachers and experts on the topic.

The Welcome Back on Campus event took place at the beginning of the semester. With a focus on physical, mental, and social health on campus, information stands were set up to give new students in particular an insight into campus life.

First-year Social Work students from the Faculty of Social Studies, University of Ostrava, participated in the REALITY CHANGES workshop, where they experienced inclusion and diversity through virtual reality. This unique experience helped them better understand different perspectives and challenges related to diversity.

The “Ștefan cel Mare” University of Suceava organized an event to raise awareness of diversity in the “Joseph Schmidt” Auditorium. The event featured children’s and youth ensembles representing the region’s ethnic diversity, alongside Romanian cultural representatives. Performances by the Kozaciok Ensemble from Bălcăuți, the Gulia School Ensemble, the Arcanul Ensemble from USV, the Spivuci Ukrainky Choir, and the Bucovina Dance Studio offered points for reflection on ethno-cultural diversity. The Suceava community was invited to join the Bucovina in Diversity event, which aimed to bring greater cultural understanding to the region.