Building Inclusive Communities in Higher Education
2025-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000358738
The Erasmus+ project aims to strengthen the sense of belonging among women and disadvantaged students at higher education institutes (HEIs). Our approach is to promote a culture of belonging and inclusion within higher education by developing and implementing an evidence-based framework for belonging, open educational resources, and safe pilot projects, as well as influencing higher education policy. The desired outcomes include an analysis of belonging opportunities and a report on best practices, a framework for belonging, OERs on inclusive teaching and belonging such as a pedagogical guide for higher education institutions, capacity-building workshops, and the creation of a self-assessment toolkit and a guide to embedding change in education. The project brings together adult education experts and social partners who support validation efforts, facilitate the involvement of key target groups, and help to ensure the long-term impact and uptake of the results.
The project started in January 2026 and will run for 24 months (01/2026 – 12/2027).
In addition to JGU, the partners involved in the project are the Network EUCEN (Belgium), the University of Cagliari (Italy), Outside Media & Knowledge UG (Germany), and Pannonia Consulting D.O.O. (Croatia).
First partner meeting at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, 28-29 January 2026
The Belonging@HEI project officially kicked off with a successful and inspiring first project meeting, bringing all partners together for a dynamic exchange. Through constructive and engaging discussions, participants developed a shared understanding of the project’s vision and objectives and jointly defined the next concrete steps.
Representatives from partner institutions in Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Croatia contributed their diverse perspectives and expertise, creating a truly collaborative and intercultural atmosphere. The meeting laid a strong foundation for our joint work towards fostering belonging, inclusion, and participation in higher education across Europe.