A conversation with John, researcher and teacher at Biomedical Sciences and Medicine.

John, can you comment on your research and the concepts of diversity and inclusion?

‘Yes, here’s a good example of inclusion. In the past, trains had stairs at the doors, so that disabled people had to drive their wheelchair onto the train via a special cart with a folding ramp. The Dutch Railways realised that it was inadvertently keeping out groups of people and adapted the trains. Many trains are now at ground level, so more accessible, more inclusive, not only for the disabled, but also for people with bicycles and heavy luggage, actually for everyone. That is also our goal, to implement improvements so that everyone feels at home at UMC Utrecht.

A common example at university might be drinking alcohol. Not everyone drinks alcohol for a variety of reasons. Research shows that fellow students sometimes insist, or even mentors offer a round of beer instead of a drink. Therefore, non-drinkers do not feel part of the group (belonging) and cannot be their authentic selves. This is an easy way to for us to introduce our own inclusive measures.

To know what we can improve, it is good to be aware of the diversity within a group so that we at least take into account the present subgroups. For example, we offer mentors bias training which addresses diversity and inclusion. This is being handled really well, and nice alternatives have already been devised for the beer cantus and for the party (movie marathon). These are widely appreciated among first-years students and comparable to the example of the train’.

How can we be inclusive for each other and for our students?

‘For an inclusive (educational) climate, an open, respectful attitude is important’. According to Patrich Mundus, ‘How little we understand the path of another if we only compare with our own path’.