About the course

Content

The course will provide an analysis of the challenges associated with equity, diversity and inclusion in the regional contexts of five ENLIGHT partners from various disciplinary angles, including psychology, educational sciences, economics, political science and medicine. Students will learn how to design observational and experimental research dealing with an equity-related subtopic of their own choice.

Students will be guided by a variety of examples of equity-related topics as well as by lectures about quantitative and qualitative research methods that are needed to design research on equity-related issues. These will (among other topics) include lectures on economic inequality and/or health disparities, social-psychological perspectives on equity, diversity, inclusion, and on how to conduct cross-cultural research. The aim of the course is to involve students in the whole research design process which will help them to develop further their disciplinary and transversal skills.

Learning outcomes

After this module, students will be able to:

• understand the various dimensions of equity and its determinants in various contexts
• identify and describe multiple challenges people face in different environments
• describe and compare selected quantitative and qualitative research methods
• choose the appropriate research method, develop a research design and measurement instrument
• develop a research topic and question of appropriate scope
• design research on their chosen dimension of equity
• understand the role and significance of marginalization processes in their own local as well as other European contexts
• sensitively approach the issue of adapting a research project to diverse cultural contexts
• apply and further develop as well as reflect on their intercultural communication and negotiation competences by working together in multinational and interdisciplinary teams
• improve their project management and problem-solving skills as a result of independent organization and work within their groups and group meetingsThe student will have some experience in formalising problems.

Programme

Introductory week at CU Bratislava: 12 September - 16 September 2022

Content:

• University staff and students will get the chance to engage in ice-breaking activities, get to know each other and their motivation for participating in the course
• Supervisors will introduce themselves and their research concerning equity
• Students will be able to connect to each other, brainstorm ideas, and form groups
• Students will have decided on a topic/research question in their groups formed by the end of the week, so that by the end of the week the groups can already present each other their first ideas and topics of choice

The week’s programme will include:

• lectures on different qualitative (focus groups, semi-structured interviews) and quantitative (surveys, experiments) methods, each followed by discussion and/ or reflection
• lectures providing different disciplinary perspectives on equality and equity in different societal contexts
• lectures by Regional Academies

Virtual part: 16 September - 16 December 2022

Content:

• University staff and students will get the chance to engage in ice-breaking activities, get to know each other and their motivation for participating in the course
• Students will work in groups on their challenges regarding the development of their topic into a research question and research design. They will be guided and supported by a topic specialist (with regards to their specific equity-related topic). They will be offered additional support (e.g., more input on qualitative or quantitative research methods, depending on their needs). They are expected to meet regularly (weekly in cross-cultural teams and bi-weekly with the group advisor).
• Presentation of work-in-progress and giving/ getting peer feedback twice during the virtual part
• Final presentation of all group projects

Upon registration, students will be asked to outline their previous experiences and research interests. These will be considered in the final design of the course programme.

Assessment

• Presentation (max 20min)
• Survey portfolio (10 pages plus appendix documents such as questionnaires)  

Lecturers

Dr. Andrej Findor, PhD., Comenius University, Associate Professor at the Institute of European Studies and International Relations
Prof. Dr. Sebastian Vollmer, University of Göttingen, Professor of Development Economics
Prof. Dr. Sabine Otten, University of Groningen, Professor of Intergroup Relations and Social Integration
Prof. Patricia Campelo, University of the Basque Country, Professor of Sociology
Prof. Dr. Piet Van Avermaet, Ghent University, Head of the Centre for Diversity and Learning, at the Linguistics Department of Ghent University
Katrien De Bruyn, Ghent University, Diversity Policy Officer and Educational Developer
Prof. Jan de Mets, Ghent University, Department of Linguistics
Prof. Dr. Wendelien Ventieghem, Ghent Unviversity, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Diversity & Learning, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Arts & Philosophy