May 13 and 14: signature of the Diversity and Inclusion charter in he university of Ostrava (Czech Republic)

On May 13 and 14, Philippe Roingeard, President of the University of Tours, took part in the second governance meeting of the European university alliance NEOLAiA at Ostravská univerzita (Czech Republic). This was an opportunity for the presidents of the nine partner universities to sign the diversity and inclusion charter, supporting one of the three pillars of the alliance.

Diversity and inclusion is one of the three pillars of the NEOLAiA alliance, and this charter corresponds to one of the main objectives of Work Package 3, which is dedicated to this topic. The Work Package is led by our German partners, in particular Professors Michaela Vogt and Amelie Labusch.

The creation process took several months, with a phase of gathering diversity and inclusion texts from the various institutions (charters, four-year plans, master plans, etc.), visits to each institution to meet with those involved in this theme, and a working meeting in Bielefeld to draft the charter.

This charter is an umbrella document that provides recommendations and guidelines, while allowing each university to adapt measures to its own situation. It does not replace existing plans but complements them. The text is built around five identified values:

• Respect and dignity

• Equal opportunities

• Gender equality

• Well-being

• European and global citizenship

and their implementation in four different areas of the university, namely Research, Teaching, Leadership and Management, and Campus and Society.

Following the joint signing in Ostrava on May 14, 2025, it will be up to each university to appropriate the charter. The alliance's member institutions will also continue to work together on this issue, in particular by sharing best practices, with a view to continuously improving the conditions for all students and staff at their institutions.