{"id":81667,"date":"2017-11-16T12:18:36","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T11:18:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=81667"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:53","slug":"by-trial-and-error-we-will-create-a-more-diverse-university","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2017\/11\/16\/by-trial-and-error-we-will-create-a-more-diverse-university\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018By trial and error, we will create a more diverse university\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Kristel Baele<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDe Nieuwe Poort<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

It is a well-known fact that Erasmus University has few female professors. In her lunchtime lecture at De Nieuwe Poort on Tuesday afternoon, Kristel Baele, the President of EUR\u2019s Executive Board, put forward her views on diversity, but she did not have much to offer in the way of specific solutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday I would like to talk to you about what it\u2019s like to be different from the people around you,\u201d was the opening line of Baele\u2019s lecture. In 1983, Baele travelled from Belgium to the Comoros, an archipelago of islands off the coast of Madagascar, Africa.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I got off the plane, I was surrounded by black people. I felt vulnerable, and realised what it must be like to be a black person arriving in a white country. It was a lesson in humility that I have never forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trial and error<\/h3>

From there, Baele moved on to the policies she is implementing at Erasmus University. \u201cBy trial and error, we are now taking steps to make the university more diverse and inclusive, but it remains hard to do justice to diversity,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see, eighty to ninety percent of people suffer from implicit bias. People unconsciously have prejudiced ideas about groups of the population or genders that significantly inform their behaviour. This is an important reason why only twelve percent of professors at our university are women.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not too specific<\/h3>

When it came to measures that could be taken to solve this problem, Baele\u2019s lecture was not particularly specific. She seemed to be about to launch into plans for action when she quoted the philosopher Maureen Sie: \u201cPrevent our prejudiced minds (which are implicitly biased with regard to male\/female relations) from having to select professors. Implement a female professor quota to safeguard parity.\u201d<\/p>\n

But then she quickly put this into perspective by citing the psychologist Wiebren Jansen: \u201cA one-sided focus on minorities may result in members of the majority \u2013 in our case, men and Dutch people with a Dutch background \u2013 feeling excluded.\u201d<\/p>\n

Compassion<\/h3>

After quoting these two scholars, Baele drew the following diplomatic-sounding conclusion: \u201cIf we wish to establish a genuinely inclusive and vigorous organisation and society, all parties will have to be committed.\u201d And in order to facilitate this commitment and connectedness, she brought up the concept of compassion. \u201cThis means learning to live in sympathy of all living beings, without any exceptions.\u201d She concluded her lecture with a Buddhist wish for protection against implicit bias:<\/p>\n

The thought manifests as the word; <\/em><\/p>\n

The word manifests as the deed; <\/em><\/p>\n

The deed develops into habit; <\/em><\/p>\n

And habit hardens into character; <\/em><\/p>\n

So watch the thought and its ways with care, <\/em><\/p>\n

And let it spring from love; <\/em><\/p>\n

Born out of concern for all beings.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo let me ask you,\u201d Baele said. \u201cWhat thoughts manifest as your words?\u201d<\/p>\n

read more about diversity on the university<\/h2>