Join us for this public seminar 15 October 2024 with the topic: Leaving no-one behind? Perspectives on diversity and inclusion in higher education. The seminar takes place at Bølgen bærekraftsenter, Kristiansand.

The rights of people living with disabilities and the commitment to inclusion are
foundational pillars of the Sustainable Development agenda, emphasizing the
importance of "leaving no one behind" in academic settings, diversity is frequently
championed in public discourse and curriculum design. Yet, paradoxically, the
academic culture often continues to prize perfection and elevate ability (Dolmage,
2017). When we consider how institutions are shaped through language, rhetoric,
and everyday practices (Porter et al., 2000), it becomes critical to examine how
discourses of ableism and inclusion are constructed, internalized, and enacted in
higher education.

In alignment with the ongoing GENDIG project (Gender and Digitalization, 2021-
2026), which spans multiple universities, study programs, and countries we pose an
essential question for this seminar: How can we most effectively work toward the goal
of leaving no one behind, ensuring access to education for all? How do we define
and understand inclusion and disability within academia? What practical steps are
being taken to foster inclusion for students and staff? What are the main challenges
and opportunities? And finally, to what extent can digitalization serve as a powerful
tool for inclusion?

Programme:
11.00 – 11.30: Lunch and mingling

11.30 – 11.35: Opening by Leif Skiftenes Flak, Dean of the Faculty of Social
Sciences, UiA

11.35- 11.45: Perspectives of inclusion in a cross-country teaching and research
collaborative project (Arnhild Leer- Helgesen, GENDIG project leader)

11.45 - 12.30: Ableism and higher education: a critical examination (Associate
professor Gagan Chhabra, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences/ Høyskolen
i Innlandet)

12.30 – 12.45: Health break

12.45 - 13.15: Perspectives on and experiences with diversity and inclusion from
Makerere School of Gender and Women’s studies (Associate professor Ruth
Nsibirano)

13.15 – 13.45: Perspectives on and experiences with diversity and inclusion from
University of Dar es Salaam (Director of the Institute of gender studies, Dr Lulu
Mahai)

13.45 - 14.15: UiA’s perspectives and experiences with diversity and inclusion
(Senior advisor Margret Kristin Dyrholm)

14.15 – 14.30: Short break/ reflections on key questions

14.30 – 15.00: Together for Inclusion – experiences from teacher training on inclusive
education in Uganda (Stromme Foundation, Celeste De la Huerta)

15.00 - 15.45: Panel discussion among the presenters, led by Associate professor
Hanne Haaland

Keywords: Ableism, intersectionality, diversity, rights and practices, individual or
collective/societal “problems”, digitalization, cultural/religious understandings