"Inclusiveness is everyone’s business – and within everyone’s power!"

Picture of Dr, Ágnes Sarolta Fazekas-Vinkovits and a quote from the interview: “We are experiencing enriching practices, knowledge and attitudes from individual to organisational levels” “We are experiencing enriching practices, knowledge and attitudes from individual to organisational levels” “We are experiencing enriching practices, knowledge and attitudes from individual to organisational levels”
Mon, 01/15/2024 - 08:38

In December 2023, CHARM-EU has been recognised with the prestigious Zero Project 2024 Award for its commitment and pioneering work in fostering diversity and inclusivity in higher education. On the occasion, we sat down with Inclusiveness Team Leader Agnes Sarolta Fazekas-Vinkovits to discuss the actions that led to the recognition and plans for the upcoming years.

The Zero Project 2024 Award   has recognised CHARM-EU for its innovative, inclusive, diverse approaches and tangible practices and tools. We sat down with Agnes Sarolta Fazekas-Vinkovits, Assistant Professor at ELTE (Eötvös Loránd University, Bárczi Gusztáv Faculty of Special Needs Education, Institute for Disability and Social Participation) and Leader of CHARM-EU Inclusiveness (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Team to hear about her future strategies, vision in the field of inclusion and diversity for CHARM-EU and higher education landscape.

Warm congratulations to the CHARM-EU Inclusiveness Team for all the great work that led to this recognition. In your opinion, what were the key elements that contributed to this success?

Agnes Sarolta Fazekas-Vinkovits: Thank you. First, I want to emphasise how thankful I am to all my colleagues who have contributed to meaningfully mainstream inclusion and diversity (not keeping them as just “buzzwords”) in the CHARM-EU organisational culture and overall operation. I must confess it has not always been easy; it is well known from research that historically, on a global scale, widening access and participation and working towards more inclusive higher education is still a new agenda in global higher education governance. As a “test-bed” new university model, CHARM-EU has been offering an extraordinary opportunity to innovate and apply inclusion by design.

What are the principles and inclusion measures leading to the recognition that you would highlight?

Through our design, we seek to cater to the greatest extent of users (i.e. taking a proactive approach) rather than a retrospective approach. We can draw on best practices and influence new inclusive practices within our partner universities, “showing” how to implement inclusivity rather than just “telling” people what to do. How we interact with one another affects the integrity of the CHARM-EU’s academic and workplace environments. We are experiencing enriching practices, knowledge and attitudes from individual to organisational levels across our partner universities to overall CHARM-EU organisational culture and operations as well as impact beyond. Last but not least, creating space for active listening, accountability, and constant reflections on our organisational culture’s day-to-day operations, human relations, interactions, and risks are needed. So, with this background set, what is it we actually do? When we use the word “transforming” often, this starts with transforming mindsets to create the understanding that inclusiveness is everyone’s business – and within everyone’s power! Together, these steps – big and small – form the start of our holistic, inclusive journey within CHARM-EU. It’s exciting and challenging. From value-based approach to meaningful implementation: I should highlight, it is a non-exhaustive list. I recommend to All to access inclusion and diversity measures, and actions via the CHARM-EU Website, Toolkit menu.

For the upcoming years, what are the strategies of CHARM-EU to further mainstream inclusion and diversity?

To keep it short, our objective is to strengthen and further develop the tremendous, transformative work, which has been started since 2019, that includes the following (non-exhaustive) goals:

  • to encompass all voices, apply the principle of “Nothing about us without us” ;
  • to further strengthen the inclusion and diversity agenda in overall organisational strategy, governance, and operation;
  • to better measure impact and address accountability;
  • to work in an agile method where processes are further streamlined coherently with individuals’ well-being and mental health.

What do you think the award means for CHARM-EU and its work on inclusion? 

I hope that receiving this prestigious award will be a moment for celebration as well as a further call for action to strive for a more inclusive and diverse higher education for CHARM-EU and in general for the global higher education landscape. I hope it inspires individuals and stakeholders to become changemakers who meaningfully work in collaboration with individuals with lived experiences for a more inclusive education.

 

If you are interested in the inclusion and diversity measures carried out in CHARM-EU, learn more by checking out some of our resources: