Central Diversity Office

The UvA's Diversity DocumentExternal link sets out various objectives and measures to achieve a diverse and inclusive environment. One of these measures is the deployment of diversity officers.

Central Diversity Officer and Faculty Diversity Officers

The Central Diversity OfficeExternal link, led by Central Diversity Officer Machiel KeestraExternal link, is committed to making the UvA campus more inclusive, accessible and equal, so that every colleague and student feels at home, safe, respected and supported. We do this by questioning policies, organising events and bringing people together. Each faculty also has its own Faculty Diversity Officer. 

Initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion

The role of Diversity Officer includes a range of responsibilities, such as identifying, promoting, creating and implementing initiatives in and outside of the UvA. Examples include diversity programmes, training options and projects. And did you know the CDO also has a Grassroots FundExternal link? The fund makes one-off grants available to students with an idea to promote equality, diversity and inclusion. Because we believe it takes all of us to create a university that is accessible for everyone.

Inclusion calendar

On an international campus like ours, you are bound to come into contact with cultures that have different customs and traditions from your own. It can be enriching to pay attention to holidays with others, but it is difficult to be aware of every day. The inclusion calendar can help you with this. You can also use the calendar to get inspired to organise events for which you can apply for financial support, such as the Grassroots FundExternal link and Campus Connection SupportExternal link.

Download the interactive inclusion calendar (pdf) or the printable inclusion calendar (pdf) or the text-only version (pdf) for text-to-speech software. Read here how you can add the inclusion calendar to your Outlook (pdf).

Liaison with councils, networks and communities

Each and every one of us is needed and each and every one of us counts. That is why the CDO liaises closely with the Central Student Council, the Central Works Council and various networks and communities. The CDO also maintains close contacts with a number of external networks and partners, including the National Diversity Officers Consultative Committee (Landelijk Overleg Diversity Officers, LanDO), the League of European Research Universities (LERU) and the national expertise centre for diversity policy ECHOExternal link. 

Other responsibilities of Diversity Officers

Other responsibilities of Diversity Officers include:

• proposing and supporting concrete measures and steps for research institutes and Graduate Schools;
• driving the cultural change process required to tackle specific issues;
• keeping board members, their units and the institution as a whole up to speed regarding these issues;
• acting as an expert within the institution and providing advice on diversity and inclusion.

The Central Diversity Officer is not responsible for policymaking, nor are the Faculty Diversity Officers. Responsibility for the implementation and execution of the measures is retained by the Executive Board and the deans.

Contact

We want to offer staff and students a safe space to express their thoughts on the topic of diversity. You can get in touch via diversity@uva.nlExternal link at any time and you can remain anonymous if you wish.