Who are the members of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education and Research, and what do they do? This time, we would like to introduce Susan Legêne. Susan Legêne is a professor of political history at VU University Amsterdam, specializing in colonial history, decolonization, and processes of citizenship formation and inclusion and exclusion. Her work focuses on issues of culture and power.
No equal playing field
Susan: 'If you look at history, it was the Europeans who dominated most of the world during the time of imperialism. Aspects of the history of slavery, decolonization, and the processes surrounding citizenship formation still recur in discussions about migration policy and integration. There is no equal playing field.'
Broader perspective
'In my role on the advisory committee, I follow current events and I think it is important to look at the broader perspective. That means I don't see higher education and research as isolated institutions. Before you go to the university, all kinds of things have happened in life that influence diversity and inclusion.
My administrative experience and historical background are an added value to the advisory committee. I have always worked in management positions, including four years as dean of a faculty. In many positions, I also had direct contact with policy officials and politicians.
Important to address
I believe I can make a difference in maintaining connection with policymakers. At the same time, I am aware that this can lead to overly cautious positions. The debate on this in the committee is very important. It is also about terminology: it is important that we continue to address diversity and inclusion.
Diversity goes beyond only acknowledging each other's differences. Inclusion requires interaction, the willingness to change all. At VU Amsterdam, for example, we strive for an inclusive learning environment that goes beyond simply reassuring people. We want to make people genuinely curious about each other's backgrounds. For example, students can submit texts by scientists in the language of their country of origin and tell other students about them.'
In practice
My main ambition is to keep diversity and inclusion on the agenda as a policy practice—not just in annual plans and long-term visions on paper, but in practice. This requires commitment from the ministerial level down to the ‘work floor’ and affects all facets of higher education and research. Diversity and inclusion contribute to reducing inequality and increase the quality and value of higher education and research.
Prof. dr. Susan Legêne she/her