This panel explores the question: Do Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies and grassroots initiatives in higher education help close the ethno-racial gap?
Much of the existing research on the ethno-racial gap in higher education comes from North America and the UK, with limited attention to the impact of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives elsewhere. In continental Europe, such research remains limited. Yet, the distinct histories of ethno-racial diversity, student demographics, and higher education landscapes across Europe mean that Anglo-Saxon findings are not universally applicable. Moreover, existing work is fragmented. Scholars in critical race and diversity studies often view DEI Policies as symbolic, serving institutional branding, avoiding structural change, and sidelining minority voice, while social psychology and organizational studies stress their potential to create inclusive climates that foster belonging, retention, and achievement.
These questions about the contributions of DEI policies to addressing the ethno-racial gap gain urgency in a climate of heightened attention to DEI, alongside the rising popularity of anti-woke discourses, five years after the Black Lives Matter movement in Europe amplified calls for racial justice in higher education.
This panel examines how DEI policies across Europe address race and ethnicity in practice and reflects on their impact. By comparing diQerent institutional approaches, the papers reveal both the limitations and the possibilities of these policies and grass-roots initiatives in reducing the ethno-racial gap. Together, they oQer a more contextualized, and critical understanding of DEI in higher education in Europe, moving beyond Anglo-Saxon centered research and pointing toward pathways for more equitable systems.
We invite contributions that examine DEI policies and grass-roots initiatives in place across higher education and consider how they shape ethno-racial inequalities.
How to submit?
If you have papers or preliminary work that would fit this panel, please submit a title, name of the presenter(s), affiliation, contact details and a short abstract of max 250 words to