At the start of this year, 2021, ACA prioritised learning more about inclusion in international higher education in the context of Europe. We decided to publish our insights along the way with the help of experts in the area of inclusion as we embark on the next instalment of our ACA Think Piece series, Inclusion in International Higher Education: European Perspectives & Insights.

This March we officially launched Inclusion in International Higher Education: European Perspectives & Insights. Towards the end of every month up to December 2021, the expert authors of this inclusion-focused series will provide brief, candid insights meant to help break institutional taboos in key areas for advancing the policy and institutional work in widening inclusion in international higher education activities.

This month’s Think Piece – Bridging the structural gaps in supporting inclusive mobility – the second in the series, is authored by the distinguished Christina Bohle, International Relations Officer and Erasmus+ Coordinator, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany. The article explores the importance of reimagining inclusion and diversity strategies as institutions embark on a new decade of inclusion-focused roles, structures, and responsibilities.

To better support the nuanced challenges within this process, Christina disentangles the Erasmus+ 2021 Programme Guide’s ambitions, by translating rhetoric to practical implications for institutional actors and the relevant institutional structures. She also outlines succinct questions institutional leaders and stakeholders can use to start the deep, structural analysis required for systemic and transformative change towards inclusive mobility. The piece then points to the urgent need for more staff development opportunities, alongside student support around areas of internationalisation with a focus on inclusion.

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