Education is the cornerstone of a better future, serving as the gateway to opportunities and success and is instrumental in processes of social transformation. In a complex world filled with challenges that demand advanced skills and adaptability, higher education, in particular, provides crucial empowerment and agency for those who pursue it.
However, not everyone has equal access to higher education and the student demographics in universities do not mirror the diversity of broader society. Inequities based on socio-economic status, parental education, gender, country of origin, rural background, and other factors persist in our higher education systems. Parental education background and income levels remain the most influential factors determining the likelihood of obtaining a higher education degree. In Europe, the enrolment rate in higher education is 20% lower for students whose fathers have an educational level at or below ISCED levels 0–4 compared to the general population. These students are also more likely to study part-time and at a lower intensity, often depending on public support or their own earnings rather than family assistance. Additionally, there is a clear link between parental education and family financial status. On average, 43% of students with highly educated parents come from well-off families, compared to only 22% of students whose parents’ highest education is at ISCED levels 0–4 (Eurostudent, 2021).
Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be central to the missions of higher education institutions, should permeate the institution and influence everyday decision-making and problem-solving. It is essential to establish conditions that enable students from diverse backgrounds to succeed, involve a comprehensive approach to organising teaching and learning, assessments, and providing both academic and non-academic support. Ensuring that universities are safe and supportive environments is crucial, as the absence of such policies can lead to higher dropout rates, mental health issues, dissatisfaction with studies, and unfulfilled potential.
European Policy Context
In recent years, inclusion and diversity have gained prominence within the EU educational policy context. In the renewed EU agenda for higher education (2017), the European Commission stated that “higher education must play its part in facing up to Europe’s social and democratic challenges. (…) ensuring that higher education is inclusive, open to talent from all backgrounds and that higher education institutions are not ivory towers, but civic-minded learning communities connected to their communities”.
Furthermore, the first principle of the EU European Pillar of Social Rights (2017) underlines that:
“Everyone has the right to quality and inclusive education, training and life-long learning in order to maintain and acquire skills that enable them to participate fully in society and manage successfully transitions in the labour market.”
This is concretised in the Europe 2020 strategy, which sets out a target of:
- Reducing the share of early leavers of education and training to less than 10% and
- increasing the share of the population aged 30 to 34 having completed some form of higher education to at least 40%.
Further developments are taking place in the European Education Area (EEA), which stresses the value of good quality, inclusive education from childhood in laying the groundwork for social cohesion, social mobility and equitable society and the commitment that one of the objectives of the European Education Area should be to support EU Member States in improving the inclusive nature of their education and training systems.
Significant advancements in European cooperation on inclusion and diversity in higher education stem from the Bologna Process/European Higher Education Area (EHEA), where it is referred to as the Social Dimension of higher education. With the Rome Ministerial Communiqué (2020), countries agreed on detailed policy means and commitments in relation to inclusion and diversity in the form of a comprehensive set of actions outlined in the Principles and Guidelines to Strengthen the Social Dimension of Higher Education in the European Higher Education Area (PAGs). The PAGs aim to ensure that quality higher education is universally accessible and emphasise an inclusive environment that fosters equity, diversity, and responsiveness to local community needs. The PAGs are centred around ten tenets – strategies on the social dimension, flexibility, lifelong learning, data, guidance and counselling, funding, staff training and institutional mission, mobility, community engagement, and policy dialogue; with public authorities, higher education institutions and other stakeholders responsible for ensuring effective implementation across all EHEA countries.
In conclusion, promising developments in the European education policy landscape highlight the increasing recognition of the need for equity and inclusivity across all levels of education. However, there remains a significant variation between countries and individual universities in the extent and methods used to achieve these goals. A continuous and increased emphasis on inclusion and diversity in European educational policies and strategies can play a crucial role in achieving equitable experiences and outcomes for all students.