É«É«À²

With the funding of the BIZ Diversity and Inclusivity Fund, two workshops were organized to bring together various actors from across Aalto University to explore how to meaningfully advance equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The goal was to create space for shared learning, dialogue, and concrete action. The workshops were organized by Laura Kangas-Müller, Sonja Raunio, and Maria Uusitalo from the Unit of Organizational Communication at the Department of Management Studies, and facilitated by Leni Grünbaum.

Speakers shared insights into the work of different EDI-related initiatives at Aalto, such as the Aalto BIZ EDI Committee, the Aalto Accessibility Coordination Group, the Queer+ employee network, and the university-wide EDI plan. The talks also highlighted anti-harassment measures as part of EDI efforts and offered theoretical lenses for understanding EDI in higher education.

Between and following the talks, participants engaged in collective reflection and small group discussions. They explored which issues were most pressing, shared experiences, and identified themes and directions for future action. One of the key takeaways from these conversations was the recognition that the variety of perspectives participants brought to the table was both a strength and a challenge. It enriched the discussion but also required effort to find common ground.

Feedback from the participants emphasized the importance of bringing together people from different roles and backgrounds in facilitated spaces where open dialogue could take place. Many also pointed to the need to increase diversity in participation—particularly by involving people in leadership positions—and to make EDI topics feel more relevant and accessible to a wider audience.

After the keynote, participants continued working on themes identified during the earlier workshop. To ensure a shared starting point, we had also asked participants to identify topics meaningful to them during registration. These topics were grouped under five headings: 1) Organizational culture, 2) Institutional practices: accessibility, inclusion, and transparency, 3) Academic careers, 4) Teaching, and 5) Societal and political climate. Through a hands-on exercise, each participant selected an EDI topic that was personally meaningful and developed tangible actions they could take to promote change in their daily work and lives.

One of the most important lessons from this project was the critical need for facilitated spaces where people can come together across roles, share experiences, and plan concrete actions collaboratively. These workshops demonstrated how such encounters not only foster mutual understanding but also generate momentum for change. As conversations around inclusion grow more complex and, at times, more contested, creating room for connection, dialogue, and collective planning is more important than ever.