As part of Work Package 2 (WP2) of the HEQUITY Project, significant progress has been made in the development of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Toolkit through a series of structured focus group activities and stakeholder engagement sessions conducted across partner countries.
These activities, carried out under Task T2.3, aim to ensure that the toolkit is grounded in real needs, practical experiences, and evidence-based insights gathered directly from stakeholders in higher education institutions .
The focus groups brought together a diverse range of participants, including administrative staff, academic representatives, policymakers, and migrant students, to explore key challenges and opportunities related to inclusion in higher education. The discussions were designed to capture perspectives on critical areas such as access to resources, institutional support systems, intercultural communication, and the role of administrative staff in implementing DEI policies .
During the sessions, participants engaged in interactive discussions addressing several core themes, including:
Needs and priorities for supporting migrant and international students
Toolkit content and themes relevant to administrative staff
Practical implementation strategies within higher education institutions
Capacity-building and training needs
Impact, evaluation, and long-term sustainability of DEI initiatives
The methodology adopted for these focus groups emphasized active participation, open dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving, allowing participants to share experiences, identify gaps, and propose actionable solutions .
Insights gathered from different countries highlighted both common challenges and context-specific issues. For example, findings pointed to the importance of clear institutional policies, improved access to information, language support, and structured guidance systems to enhance inclusion efforts. Administrative staff were identified as key actors, playing roles as facilitators, mediators, and advocates for students with migrant backgrounds .
These focus group outcomes will directly contribute to shaping the HEQUITY DEI Toolkit, which aims to provide practical guidance, best practices, and training resources to support higher education institutions in creating more inclusive and equitable environments.
Through these collaborative efforts, HEQUITY continues to strengthen its commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion across European higher education systems, ensuring that the final toolkit reflects the real needs and experiences of its target groups.
