SMILE Final Symposium on Diversity & Inclusion

Barcelona (ES), Thursday 16 November 2023

Diversity in modern society – Making inclusion a central strategy in our universities

In our multi-cultural societies, there is a richness of ideas, preferences, customs and viewpoints. This offers endless possibilities for learning and growth. However, sometimes political and economic factors overshadow the opportunities that diversity brings with it. Universities can play a crucial role in countering this trend, and ensuring that such opportunities are recognised and that the potential of diversity is fully realised. But, are universities prepared to go ‘that extra mile’ towards diversity and inclusion?

The SMILE project has explored during its Final Symposium diversity and inclusion in higher education (HE) with the participants to this event.

The SMILE Symposium, organised by eucen and the Fundació Solidaritat UB with the project consortium, has given visibility to the way universities are (or should be) addressing diversity and inclusion, and celebrate the growing importance and relevance of the third mission of universities and the role that lifelong learning (LLL) plays in this context.

During this event the project gave out the SMILE Awards on Diversity 2023 – There were 6 finalists and the awards were given to:

First Award: Allison KENNEALLY, South East Technological University (IE). Moving Beyond the Binary – Collaborating to embed Sustainable & Inclusive Gender Equality ain the Irish HE Sector
Second Award: Teresa TORRES, Universitat Rovira i Virgili (ES). INSERLAB -Pathways to inclusion through work-integrated learning
Third Award: Anna Fausta SCARDIGNO, University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT). Lifelong Learning and Higher Education “serving” for the inclusion of refugee and students with migrant background

The finalists were: Roisin SHANAHAN (South East Technological University – IE), Ester COIS (University of Cagliari – IT), Clelia PARALUPPI (Delft Technical University – NL).

If you are interested in the topic of diversity and inclusion and you like the work that SMILE has developed, please send us a letter of support!

Programme

08:45	Registration (Ground floor)
09:15	Welcome to the University of Barcelona (Sala Valverde, ground floor)	Montse PUIG – University of Barcelona (ES)
09:30	Presentation The SMILE project in a nutshell (Sala Valverde, ground floor)	Carme ROYO – eucen (BE)
09:45	Panel The three SMILE pillars: Singularity and intersectionality Session presented and moderated by: Emmanuel ACQUAH. Åbo Akademi University (FI) Obstacles and challenges for students with a migrant or refugee background and opportunities for HEIs Cati JEREZ Women in leadership Ester COIS Diversity in modern society. Making inclusion a central strategy in our universities Claudiu ROMILA (Sala Valverde, ground floor)	Presenters: Cati JEREZ – UBSF (ES) Ester COIS – UNICA (IT) Claudiu ROMILA, TUIASI (RO)
10:30	Parallel sessions (3 groups) Selected cases of diversity and inclusion in HEIs will present their work Group A (Room 123 – first floor): Making continuing education inclusive: best practices for getting started on the D&I journey following the SMILE recommendations, by Clelia Paraluppi (Delft University of Technology, NL) A Marathon, more than an obstacle race. Dealing with Resistances along the Development of a Brand-New Gender Equality Plan, by Ester Cois (University of Cagliari, IT) Understanding and embedding diversity in an Irish University, by Roisin Shanahan (SETU, IE) Academia in the mirror: methods and tools for promoting academic reﬂexivity in the university policies for gender equality. The case of the European project Erasmus+ SMILE, by Ester Cois (University of Cagliari, IT) Group B (Sala Valverde – ground floor) Moving Beyond the Binary – Collaborating to embed Sustainable & Inclusive Gender Equality ain the Irish HE Sector, by Allison Kenneally (SETU, IE) INSERLAB -Pathways to inclusion through work-integrated learning, by Teresa Torres (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, ES) Lifelong Learning and Higher Education “serving” for the inclusion of refugee and students with migrant background, by Anna Fausta Scardigno (University of Bari, IT) How universities can leverage their community networks to facilitate the inclusion of people with special needs, by Elisabetta Verginelli (eucen, BE) Group C (Room 114 – first floor) Applying a feminist critical pedagogy in the classrooms of the Faculty of Education, by Aida Navas (University of Barcelona, ES) Building an Inclusive Europe: The iBox Project’s response to the new challenges in Education, by Aisha Kruger (eucen, BE) *The University Beyond Campus: Women Leadership in the Health Industry, by Tamer Atabarut (Bogaziçi University, TR) Understanding and Promoting Lifelong Learning with University Collaboration for Better Health and Well-being*, by Balazs Nemeth (University of Pecs, HU)	Moderators: Camilla FITZSIMONS – Maynooth University (IE) Carmel BORG – University of Malta (MT) Kia LUNDQVIST – University of Turku (FI)
11:20	Coffee break (Hall in the -1 floor)
11:50	Summary from the Parallel sessions by the moderators (Sala Valverde, ground floor)
12:10	SMILE Awards 2023 on diversity and inclusion in higher education Awards presented by the external Jury member: Pat DAVIES (independent expert) (Sala Valverde, ground floor)
12:30	World Café – Explore the SMILE tools Resources and literature Audit model CPD courses Policy Recommendations Session introduced and moderated by Isabell GRUNDSCHOBER. University for continuing education Krems (AT) (Hall in the -1 floor)	Maria CAPRILE – NOTUS (ES) Beate HÖRR – JGU (DE) Camilla FITZSIMONS – Maynooth University (IE) Carme ROYO – eucen (BE)
13:30	Lunch (Hall in the -1 floor)

14:50	Opening and Welcome to the new arriving participants Summary of the SMILE Symposium morning session: Getting into the diversity and inclusion mood! Summary of the main ideas from the World Cafe by the moderators of the “corners” (Sala d’Actes. Floor -1)	Beate HÖRR – JGU (DE)
15:20	Dialogue between researcher and practitioner How does theory compares to reality at diversity and inclusion level? How can research help practice and how can practice feed research? Different perspectives to a same challenge. Session introduced and moderated by Kirstin SONNE, University of Edinburg (UK) (Sala d’Actes. Floor -1)	Researcher: Lilian NWANZE – Maynooth University (IE) Practitioner: Matthew WEAIT – Oxford University (UK)
16:30	Open floor for discussion, questions and comments Session moderated by Kirstin SONNE (Sala d’Actes. Floor -1)
17:00	Closing of the day Thanks (Sala d’Actes. Floor -1)	Carme ROYO – eucen Beate HÖRR – JGU (DE)
17:15	Networking Cocktail (Hall in the -1 floor)
20:00	Symposium Dinner

Event organised by eucen in collaboration with Fundació Solidaritat UB and University of Barcelona on behalf of the full SMILE consortium

Scientific committee

Camilla FITZSIMONS, Maynooth University (IE)

Carmel BORG, University of Malta (MT)

Kia LUNDQVIST, University of Turku (FI)

Pat DAVIES, external expert and Jury

Organising committee

Carme ROYO, eucen

Montse BELTRAN, eucen

Cati JEREZ, Funcació Solidaritat UB (ES)

Angels CERDÀ, Funcació Solidaritat UB (ES)

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