University of Cologne celebrates its seventh Diversity Week

06/11/2021 | by Eva Laurie | Event

The University of Cologne’s annual Diversity Week under the headline “You make the difference!” will take place from 14 to 18 June 2021. It aims to raise awareness, foster diversity and address discrimination, and will cover topics such as anti-Semitism, racism and sexism.

The image shows a tiled pattern in pink and blue in the background. The foreground reads "Diversity Week digital of the University of Cologne in German" and the date 14 to 18 June 2021.
The Diversity Week will take place from 14 to 18 June 2021. Source: University of Cologne

Understanding the important links between well-being, diversity and inclusion, and promoting appropriate action to foster advances in these interconnected areas is part of the EUniWell mission. To promote inclusive and diverse workplaces and thereby enhance employee well-being, the EUniWell partner universities are taking action. An annual highlight is the University of Cologne’s Diversity Week. Under the headline “You make the difference!” the Vice-Rectorate for Academic Career and Equal Opportunities, and the Department of Gender & Equality Management are organising the Diversity Week for the seventh year running.

From 14 to 18 June 2021 various actors will promote awareness of issues relating to equal opportunities and diversity through events, activities, and information. Numerous institutions will offer workshops, talks, lectures and activities, and open their courses to students, staff and other interested parties.

The programme includes the digital event “Critical Whiteness - How can white people act critically of racism at the University of Cologne?” on 14 June 2021 from 14:30 to 16:30 (CEST) / 13:30 to 15:30 (BST), with a topical input by book author Sami Omar, followed by an interview conducted by Prof. Dr. Marianne Bechhaus-Gerst, Adjunct Professor of African Studies at the University of Cologne, and a discussion on what we can do at the university to reduce racism.

Find the complete programme of this year’s Diversity Week here (in German). Please note that large parts of the programme are in German. Accordingly, a knowledge of German is required to participate in these parts of the programme.

Background: Diversity and well-being in organisations

Employee well-being contributes significantly to an organisation’s success. In order to create a positive working atmosphere, members should feel that they belong to their organisation. They do so especially when they find themselves in a work environment where the differences of each individual are valued and respected. When this is the case, it impacts their performance and it has also been shown that the organisation as a whole performs better (Hossain et al., 2020). To harness these advantages, organisations need to make their workforces more inclusive. Understanding and appreciating diversity is the key to this.

Further information:

Find EUniWell’s Anti-Racism Declaration at: https://www.euniwell.eu/newsroom/article/euniwell-with-its-institutions-and-students-positions-itself-against-anti-black-racism-and-all-other-forms-of-racial-ethnic-and-cultural-discrimination

For more information on the University of Cologne’s commitment to diversity and equality of opportunity, please visit: https://vielfalt.uni-koeln.de/en/diversity-at-a-glance

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