On May 28th, more than 30 internationalisation professionals from Swiss Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) gathered online for a Movetia Academy session dedicated to Inclusion and Diversity in mobility and facilitated by Chantal Sistek and Ella Spadaro, scientific advisors at Movetia. Designed for Swiss International Relations Offices (IROs), inclusion officers and researchers, the session focused on how their institutions can widen participation and better support students with fewer opportunities. The meeting provided both strategic perspectives and practical tools to strengthen inclusive approaches in international mobility.
The session opened with a shared reflection on the barriers students with opportunities face in international mobility, ways HEIs can foster more inclusive participation and the tools and resources available for the task. Given that many Swiss HEIs are not yet actively using Erasmus+ tools and support, the first presentation, delivered by Hrvoje Ryznar, Advisor at SALTO ID ET, focused on introducing participants to the SALTO Network, explaining its role within Erasmus+ and showcasing a range of resources, services and tools designed to help HEIs implement inclusion measures. Several ways in which Swiss HEIs can benefit from capacity-building opportunities were outlined, including through mentorship offers provided by SALTO ID ET.
In the second keynote, Martin Bogdan (Academic Cooperation Association) introduced the DIEM project, presenting approaches to making international mobility more inclusive. He highlighted structural and individual barriers faced by students and outlined practical first steps institutions can take to develop more inclusive strategies within their own contexts.
As part of its broader mission, the Movetia Academy acts as a Professional Learning Community, where internationalisation professionals can bring their needs and experiences, share their practice, and work on their own professional challenges while collaborating and learning from one another.