The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted higher education, imposing the need to add new strategies to academic educational models to facilitate young people’s transitions from education to work. Among the new challenges, the research study focuses on the importance of valuing and incrementing inclusion, raising awareness of equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategies and policies. Many universities have yet to develop inclusive processes and cultures that provide equality of opportunity for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, physical ability, identity, and cultural background. Since 2019, the European Commission has financed “European Universities”, networks of universities creating international competitive degrees that combine excellent study programmes in different European countries. Today, 340 institutions in 44 European University Alliances (EUAs) promote European values and identity and revolutionise their quality and competitiveness to become the “universities of the future”. This article proposes a comprehensive approach to promote EDI within the EUA “ULYSSEUS” involving Spanish, Italian, Austrian, French, Finnish, and Slovakian universities through micro-actions to apply EDI principles at the project level. The authors will frame the theoretical basis of the experience through documentary analysis and their academic expertise in promoting strategies connected with the European values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union: pluralism, tolerance, justice, solidarity, non-discrimination and equality. Implementing these values through visible micro-actions could document and counteract the disadvantages underrepresented groups face in academia. In the mid-term, the experience had by the students in the EUA could facilitate the higher education-to-work transition, allowing them to replicate their EDI-related experience as students to their future roles as citizens and workers. The outcome could thus contribute to a life-wide learning perspective for a more inclusive Europe in the long term.

The article summarises the scientific debate on the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies adopted by the European Union to promote gender equality in academia and the adoption of a gender perspective in research. The article focuses on introducing gender mainstreaming, promoting gender equality and structural change in research performing and financing organisations, and adopting gender action/equality plans. The discussion is structured around textual analysis of relevant EU acts, scientific literature, reports of EU funded research projects, communication and support actions. The authors discuss the critics of the various initiative and advance some considerations about what could support individuals and groups interested in promoting positive changes towards gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the academic field. The article relevance is linked to the innovation promoted by Horizon Europe, that requires all public institutions applying for Eu funding to have a Gender equality plan, and the risks that previous mistakes can be repeated hindering the process towards gender equality as in the recent past.

This article explores the use of participatory approaches to promote gender equality in academia, focusing on initiatives implemented in two universities. First, we look at the experience of the University of Deusto (Spain) in developing a handbook to integrate a gender perspective into teaching and research practises through an equality, diversity and inclusion lens (EDI). This initiative, carried out as part of the university’s Gender Equality Plan, featured active involvement from scholars representing the faculties of Law, Psychology, Social Sciences and Humanities, Engineering, Business, and Theology, as well as the university’s Social Responsibility Unit. It serves as a valuable example of how participatory strategies can effectively engage a wide array of institutional stakeholders in change-oriented actions. Promoting increased participation fosters a sense of ownership of the process and outcomes among stakeholders and strengthens institutional recognition. Second, we analyse the introduction of a "gender+-responsive curriculum" developed at the University of Genoa (Italy), as part of the university’s Gender Equality Plan. This initiative seeks to promote inclusion across all disciplinary subjects by incorporating current research that examines subject matters through the lens EDI, where relevant. The pilot implementation was undertaken in an undergraduate course focused on hydraulic engineering and hydrology, drawing guidance from various resources, including academic publications and EU-funded project reports. This initiative highlights the practical implications and challenges associated with interventions aiming to challenge conventional teaching and research norms from an EDI perspective, particularly in STEM fields. By exploring the experiences, obstacles and solutions associated with a gender+-responsive curriculum, we broaden our understanding of academia’s potential to advance gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. In examining the two experiences, we emphasise the theoretical underpinnings that underscore the importance of participatory approaches for promoting meaningful and enduring changes in academic institutions. Additionally, we highlight the ongoing challenges associated with implementing such changes and offer initial insights into potential strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Our goal is to ensure that gender and other intersecting diversity factors are not relegated to the edges of institutional priorities, but are instead mainstreamed into wider institutional practices.

This paper explores the application of co-creative and co-participatory methods in research performing organisations (RPOs), focusing on a case study at the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) during its Open Labs initiative under the EU-funded NEXUS project of the Horizon Europe Framework Programme. The main objective is to assess the effectiveness of these methods in fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment, particularly in approaching themes such as gender equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We present an in-depth analysis of the process, highlighting the challenges encountered and the strategies used to overcome them. Through this case study, we assess both the short-term benefits of using co-creative methods — such as improved collaboration, knowledge sharing and increased awareness of different perspectives — and the ongoing challenges, that persist, including navigating institutional inertia and other barriers in an approach focussed on gender equality, diversity and inclusion lens. The paper outlines how these methods have been tailored to the specific context of IIT’s Open Labs and offers insights into the adaptability of co-participatory approaches in different RPO environments when addressing pervasive and cross-cutting issues such as gender, equality, diversity and inclusion. This analysis will be of relevance to those working to implement gender-sensitive and inclusive policies and practises in research organisations. The findings suggest that co-creative and co-participatory methods offer a viable framework for addressing 'inclusion gaps' in research spaces, although their long-term effectiveness requires further research. Ultimately, this work contributes to the growing discourse on inclusion in research settings and provides both theoretical and practical insights into the benefits and limitations of participatory methods.

The rapid deployment of AI reveals persistent socio-technical and data-driven biases that reflect profound epistemic limitations in knowledge production. These biases are not accidental, but symptomatic of deeper epistemic limitations in the way AI knowledge is produced — often by homogeneous teams within technocentric paradigms that exclude alternative perspectives. This paper argues that the underrepresentation of diverse social actors in AI development not only perpetuates inequality, but also severely limits the epistemic and ethical robustness of AI systems. The focus of this paper arises in particular from the preliminary findings obtained in the Horizon Europe project STEP, which highlight the potential of the framework to improve the inclusivity and trustworthiness of AI. The central thesis is that social diversity must be considered as an epistemic condition and not just an ethical or demographic ideal. Drawing on sociology, psychology and educational science, the authors show how integrating plural forms of knowledge, lived experiences and cultural perspectives into the design and development process can lead to AI systems that are more context-sensitive, equitable and trustworthy. Rather than proposing inclusion as an external corrective, this paper discusses a paradigm shift in AI development - a paradigm shift that embeds diversity into the infrastructure of knowledge production itself. The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it proposes a theoretical model of integrative knowledge production that identifies mechanisms through which interdisciplinary collaboration can challenge dominant epistemologies and promote systemic reflexivity. Second, a participatory design framework is outlined to operationalise this model through concrete methodological tools, including dialogic co-design workshops, ethnographic participation in data selection and cross-functional team structuring. These practises aim to break through technocratic compartmentalisation by creating space for social critique and situated intelligence within AI development cycles. Finally, the authors reflect on the transformative potential of this approach and suggest that rethinking who is involved in AI knowledge production will not only change the outcomes of AI systems, but also the normative foundations of the technological future. From this perspective, ethical AI is not just explainable or compliant — it is structurally inclusive, responsive to different lifeworlds and open to critical reinvention.

This chapter examines the institutionalisation of gender equality, diversity and inclusion (GEDI) policies in private sector companies, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises in Europe, with a focus on Italy. Despite formal measures to promote GEDI, persistent biases and structural inequalities continue to limit women’s participation in the labour market. Using an intersectional approach, this chapter examines how organisational, economic, cultural and social factors interact to influence gender inequalities in employment. It emphasises the need for interdisciplinary research, data-driven policy interventions and intersectoral and corporate strategies that go beyond regulatory compliance to promote an inclusive work environment. Furthermore, the study addresses the role of artificial intelligence in measuring and improving GEDI outcomes but also recognises its current limitations. The chapter argues for a paradigm shift that incorporates GEDI into work and organisational life, combining qualitative insights with macroeconomic data, resulting in a holistic model that prioritises equality, diversity and inclusion and sustainability in workforce development.