Webinar on inclusive curriculum projects
12 October 2022
Coimbra Group Equality and Diversity Working Group
Webinar Summary
A small webinar planning group consisting of staff in Utrecht University, Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg and Trinity College Dublin – all members of the Working Group on Equality and Diversity (ED WG), began collaborating together at the Coimbra Group Annual Conference in June 2022.
The agreed aims of the webinar were to act as a starting point for exploration and discussion of implementing inclusive curriculum projects in universities, showcasing outputs and in particular sharing experiences from two Coimbra Group members – Trinity College Dublin and Utrecht University. The running order of the webinar was designed to encourage reflection by participants and interaction with the presenters using breakout rooms and specific questions to provoke discussion. There were 42 registrations from universities across Europe on the webinar.
The webinar participants were welcomed by the ED WG Chair Professor Annalisa Oboe, University of Padua. Professor Oboe gave an overview of the Working Group and its key areas of interest, and aligned the webinar content with current direction in the European Commission and European Research Area in terms of equality and inclusion.
Dr Derina Johnson, Project Manager of Trinity Inclusive Curriculum Project (Trinity-INC), Trinity College Dublin, introduced the project and shared experiences of taking a holistic, whole-of-College approach to promoting inclusivity in the teaching and learning experience. Dr Jeroen Janssen, Director of Education for Educational Sciences and project leader of the Utrecht University Inclusive Curriculum project outlined the structure and funding steams for this project as well as recent outputs of a Reflection tool and accompanying toolbox.
Professor Bariş Kabak of Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg reflected on the two presentations and examined key elements of the projects and outlined the intersectional approaches they used. He emphasized how by utilising an inclusive curricular approach students can be stimulated to explore new intersections and variables on topics. This was the first webinar organized and hosted by the Coimbra Group Working Group on Equality and Diversity and based on the participation, interest and positive feedback more webinars will be planned.
Webinar planning group
- Prof. Dr. Leoniek Wijngaards-de Meij, Utrecht University.
- Dr Siobán O’Brien Green, Trinity College Dublin.
- Prof. Dr. Barış Kabak, Andrea Baehr and Dr Isabel Fraas, Julius-Maximilians-Universität of Würzburg.
- Assisted by Dr Derina Johnson and Alex Fay Trinity College Dublin and Dr Jeroen Janssen and Chawila Soebhag, Utrecht University.
For further information:
- Information on Trinity Inclusive Curriculum Project: https://www.tcd.ie/equality/projects/inclusive-curriculum
- Information about the Utrecht University Project: