Action Plans | Diversity and inclusion

UAntwerp's diversity policy and the core values of diversity and inclusion are embodied in two action plans: The Diversity Action Plan for Staff and the Diversity Action Plan for Students. Together, they provide a tangible guide as to how the University is currently working to become more for its staff and students.

Diversity Action Plan for Staff: Diversity through inclusion (2021)

Why did UAntwerp create a Diversity Action Plan for staff?

Diversity is a structural feature of our modern society and of the metropolitan environment specifically. The University of Antwerp considers diversity an added value, offering various insights and views that stimulate creativity within our institution. The University of Antwerp also wants to fulfil its corporate social responsibility commitment by creating an inclusive work environment for our 6,000-plus staff members.

The University of Antwerp has already made considerable efforts in this respect, but is also determined to keep challenging itself and to remain self-critical. This objective being a permanent work in progress, the Diversity Action Plan for Staff (DAP Staff) is therefore not an end point, but a starting point for a continuous process of improvement. It is a dynamic plan that will be continuously followed up, evaluated and adjusted by the Diversity Action Plan for Staff steering committee.

Together with the Dutch version of the Strategic Action Plan Sustainable Gender Policy for Academic Personnel (2014) and the Action Plan Internationalization, the DAP Staff will provide the basis for the diversity policy for staff members of the University of Antwerp. 'Gender at the University of Antwerp: Reporting gender statistics January 2023' depicts the gender balance for academic staff. The Dutch version of the Charter Gender in Academia (2019) builds on Flemish universities' ongoing efforts towards gender equality in academia.

The full Diversity Action Plan for Staff is available for UAntwerp staff members on Pintra.

Six diversity topics

The DAP Staff explicitly addresses six diversity topics, while also paying attention to the interconnectedness of these different topics and trying to steer clear of a normative and stereotypical approach as much as possible.

Six diversity topics:

Disability
LGBTQI+
Lifestance
Ethnic-cultural diversity
Gender identity (M/F/X)*

Global engagement*

*These topics are included in the Strategic Action Plan Sustainable Gender Policy for Academic Personnel and the Action Plan Internationalization

Four strategic objectives

The Diversity Action Plan for Staff comprises various actions towards four strategic objectives. This action plan is merely the start of a dynamic process of improvement, we will keep adjusting and adding actions towards our four objectives:

UAntwerp develops a diversity culture and creates a positive working atmosphere and organisational structure where diversity contributes to quality and innovation within our institution.

UAntwerp further develops its inclusive recruitment policy in which everyone’s talents are appreciated.
UAntwerp applies an inclusive career development policy aiming at greater diversity.
UAntwerp invests in qualitative and quantitative monitoring in order to stimulate a diverse organisation.

Read more about our HR policy and offers on the UAntwerp jobsite.

Diversity at the University of Antwerp: time for action (2018)

The Diversity Action Plan for Students (DAP1) was launched in December 2018.

The plan is based on the observation that certain groups of students are not as successful in their studies as other groups of students. Research shows that these students are hindered in successfully starting and completing their degrees.

This action plan aims to increase student diversity and reduce barriers to a more diverse university. Through four strategic goals and 19 concrete actions, the DAP provides inspiration and support. We know from literature, history and cross-country comparisons that no one size fits all to achieve diversity. All actions are likely to have a limited effect on study success rates and, more specifically, on the entry and the progression of students. The strength of the plan is the combination of different actions which affect the culture and structure of our institution.

The 19 actions are grouped into four main strategic goals:

Deepening the culture of diversity: these actions contribute to creating or strengthening support for diversity-related topics among students, within faculties, programmes and/or central services.
Development of a diversity-oriented organisational structure: these actions describe the possibilities and opportunities to formally anchor the diversity policy in sustainable organisational structures within the University of Antwerp in order to create a strong network.
Commitment to diversity supportive and diversity-sensitive education: From a diversity perspective, these actions focus on student progression. Student progression is defined as "all possible intermediate steps a student may take from the start to the end of their educational journey".

Increasing the diversity of incoming students and producing qualified graduates: these actions focus on further optimising the entry and graduation of a diverse group of students at the University of Antwerp.