“During the workshops dedicated to young researchers present at CERED 2024, faculty members from the University of Oradea presented fundamental documents of the European academic alliance EU GREEN and discussed its objectives regarding access, diversity, and inclusion in the university environment. Associate Professor Dr. Julien Ferencz Kiss spoke about “”The Charter of Diversity and Inclusion in the EU Green Alliance.””. Associate Professor Dr. Laura Bochiș addressed the topic of “”Lifelong Learning Programs in the EU Green University Alliance”” and attempted to answer provocative questions such as: What do we have? What do we learn? What do we adopt?
The Vice-Rector of the University of Oradea, Professor Dr. habil. Anca Dodescu, the local EU GREEN coordinator, together with the Dean of the Faculty of Socio-Human Sciences, Professor Dr. habil. Karla Barth, Work Package manager, proposed another interesting topic in the context of EU GREEN: “”Access, diversity, and inclusion in Romanian universities. How do we prepare?””
At the same time, they declared about the National Conference on Educational Research CERED 2024 that it had “”a special significance, both for the University of Oradea and for the university’s presence in the EU GREEN ‘choir'””.
“”As the leader of Work Package of Access, diversity, and inclusion, within the EU GREEN university alliance, the University of Oradea has assumed an important role in promoting measures that help overcome the structural limitations of educational programs that do not fully take into account the specific needs of underrepresented groups, working closely with public bodies and civil society. The development of an EU GREEN Charter of inclusion and diversity, ensuring free access to online courses in the field of sustainability for underrepresented groups, developing lifelong learning programs for sustainability, and promoting inclusion through the organization of sports and cultural events dedicated to underrepresented groups are the main directions of action within the work package dedicated to access, diversity, and inclusion,”” says Professor Dr. Anca Dodescu, Vice-Rector of the University of Oradea and local EU GREEN coordinator.
Emphasizing that under the auspices of CERED 2024, the Oradea academics who are part of EU GREEN’s Access, diversity, and inclusion team had the opportunity to present to specialists from all over the country their work from the last two years, the local EU GREEN coordinator, Professor Dr. Anca Dodescu, further stated: “”The specialists from the most relevant universities in Romania appreciated, among other things: the inventory of underrepresented student groups, the solutions that the members of the EU GREEN Alliance found for their better inclusion, the initiative to change policies in the field of access, diversity, and inclusion. During the discussions, it was found that similar problems exist in all universities in Romania.””
“”From the perspective of the EU GREEN Alliance, the National Conference on Educational Research CERED 2024 represented the ideal framework for disseminating the standards, solutions, and good practices existing at the level of the European university alliance EU GREEN regarding access, diversity, and inclusion to Romanian higher education institutions, as well as to increase awareness and influence public educational policies regarding access, diversity, and inclusion. The partnership of the University of Oradea with the Romanian Association for Research in Education, University of Bucharest, ‘Babeș-Bolyai’ University Cluj-Napoca, ‘Alexandru Ioan Cuza’ University of Iasi and West University of Timișoara, as well as the presence of special guests from the most prestigious Romanian universities, the National Center for Educational Policies and Evaluation, Bihor County Council, Bihor School Inspectorate, Teachers’ Training Center and the Bihor County Center for Resources and Educational Assistance guarantees the wide-scale impact and success of these efforts to disseminate the lessons learned within the EU GREEN alliance,”” considers Professor Dr. habil. Karla Barth, Dean of the Faculty of Socio-Human Sciences, manager of Work Package 7: Access, diversity and inclusion EU GREEN.
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