Focus on diversity and inclusion during meeting in Bielefeld

Four staff members from different departments at Örebro University participated during the week. They visited various units at Bielefeld University and gained insight into work in areas such as gender equality, accessibility, diversity, health initiatives, and family support.

Elin Weiss, a delegate in NEOLAiA’s work package on diversity and inclusion, presented how we work with criteria for internship placement (VFU) from a family and diversity perspective. In her day-to-day role, Elin works as a development officer for equal opportunities and gender equality at the Faculty Office. She found it rewarding to compare similarities and differences between countries.

- It was interesting to see that there are many similarities, for example in relation to disability support services. Even though other universities are organized differently, they provide similar support based on similar needs.

Balancing family life

One difference discussed was the definition of a family and solutions for balancing family life. In Bielefeld, special family rooms have been set up where staff can bring their children and work.

- That wouldn’t happen in Sweden, Elin notes. We tend to have a more structural view of the balance between work and family life.

The participants from Örebro were also given the opportunity to sit together and reflect on strengths and weaknesses based on their own roles. Together, they identified gaps in the accessibility of information for internationally recruited staff.

- We noticed, for example, that important information is not always translated into English, says Elin.

More exchanges

Marinette Grimbeek, records officer at the Legal Office, was one of the participants during the week. Overall, she would have preferred more time for in-depth discussions and exchange of experiences with colleagues from other institutions.

- It felt more like a study visit than a training. But it was interesting to see how many resources Bielefeld invests in providing support to students and staff with disabilities. They also have a center for languages for specific purposes, with an impressive range of courses in different languages, she says.