By Halla Ehssan El-Jechy, AAU Communication and Public Affairs. Photo: AAU. Graphic: Julie Nete Nielsen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.

TECH has appointed six diversity ambassadors who will be frontrunners and contact persons for students with special challenges. They will also help create visibility and promote dialogue about diversity in day-to-day life at the TECH departments.

Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz, Assistant Professor in the Department of Architecture, Design and Media Technology is one of the six diversity ambassadors at TECH. He previously worked on inclusion at the University of Gothenburg and jumped at this opportunity.

"It really motivates me, and I love working on it. Not only because I’m neurodivergent myself, but most of all because I like to see students thrive – especially those who are struggling," he says.

More open dialogue

For Diversity Ambassador Carla Griggio, Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Department of Computer Science, the initiative is an important step towards more open dialogue on diversity.

"I hope that the initiative get us to reflect on the many dimensions of diversity. Not only gender – which the technical disciplines often focus on – but also physical disabilities, chronic diseases, neurodivergence and cultural background," says Carla Griggio.

She points out that diversity requires a flexible approach to teaching and support so that all students can thrive in their studies. 

"Some students may need different teaching methods and support while others may have different preferences for how they work in groups or communicate. There may also be different expectations for how feedback is given and received, and how knowledge is shared and assessed," she says.

Prevention rather than firefighting

According to Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz, many existing supports are only activated once problems arise. As a diversity ambassador, he therefore sees his role as being proactive and preventive through dialogue, workshops and teaching with a focus on inclusion.

"The initiative can help students who have challenges to find ways to improve their student life, both academically and socially. It can also prevent problems from occurring, and thus increase the general well-being of students," he says.

New insights

AAU and other universities have systems to support students with special needs, but they require a lot of effort on the part of the student. A diversity seminar with Dr. Valeria Borsotti at the University of Copenhagen gave Carla Griggio a deeper understanding of the invisible work that many students – especially neurodivergent ones – have to do to get the support they need.

"Students have to be able to navigate complex bureaucratic processes, repeatedly share personal information, and argue for their eligibility for support. This can lead them to opt out of the support altogether – not because they don't need help, but because the process of getting it is so exhausting, says Carla Griggio.

She believes it is important that we start centreing diversity and inclusion efforts around the needs, skills and practices of the people we want to support.

Political and cultural commitment

Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz believes that diversity work is also a political and cultural obligation that universities should take seriously, locally and globally.

"In general, I have to say that in a world where the United States is fighting against diversity and inclusion, it is more important than ever that the EU, and especially the Nordic countries that have been frontrunners in the work on diversity and inclusion, continue their efforts in this area. Diversity is the way to the future," he believes.

Diversity is the way forward

The Diversity Ambassador Network only exists at TECH, but the ambitions are high.

"It would be great if the programme could be spread across the university so that we could help many more people. Even though these are small steps, I am convinced that they will make a noticeable difference," says Carlos Mauricio Castaño Díaz.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.