There are few opportunities for Educational Advancement professionals from across Europe and beyond to come together; even fewer – occasions for people from different lived experiences working in the sector to be offered a platform to connect and learn from each other. The CASE Europe Annual Conference 2023 did just that.
The CASE Multi-Cultural Network (MCN) was created in 2019 to challenge issues around Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the Educational Advancement sector. Our purpose is to empower members from diverse lived experiences to excel professionally and move on to the next career stages in advancement. This summer’s CASE Europe Annual Conference (CEAC) was the perfect event to reaffirm our commitment as a mission-driven community, to unite and inspire positive change together.
The Conference delivered a varied programme with a breadth of insights, from a key session on attracting and retaining diverse talent, to discussing ingredients of creating an inclusive workplace culture in HE. Contributing speakers showcased their knowledge and expertise while at the same time acknowledging the multi-dimensional challenges the sector has been facing when it comes to the employee experience in the workplace. On the other hand, some sessions focused on how the sector can build a more supportive professional environment to suit individual's needs. For instance, the lunch roundtable on job sharing explored how, through offering flexible arrangements, the workplace can adapt to provide more accommodating work conditions.
CEAC offered a safe space. Other than plenaries and key sessions, delegates were invited to attend smaller-size meetings such as breakfast roundtables. These sessions created opportunities for deeper connections and more in-depth insights’ sharing. Discussions notably featured a conversation on how integrated advancement can help universities to be anti-racist in practice, which was complemented by consultancy research findings. The informal set-up allowed for a conversation, while the moderators supported the discussion by identifying relevant research and highlighting key take-aways.
This year MCN had a designated physical space throughout the Conference. This offered an excellent opportunity for us to highlight the initiative by showcasing a selection of materials. More importantly however, we were able to meet delegates in person. This allowed us to gather first-hand insight, be it through informal conversations or by conducting more structured interviews. To quote Rania Al-Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, “we are stronger when we listen, and smarter when we share”.
CEAC was a step in the right direction, but there is so much more we can do together. Following our meeting with Sue Cunningham, CASE President and CEO, and Rob Henry, Vice President, People, Culture & Talent, with invaluable support from Maeva Ofranc, Talent Programme and Project Manager, we see the upcoming year as an unparalleled opportunity to further consolidate the exceptional efforts which have gone into the Network since its inception. Following the success of CEAC 2023, we now have the momentum to continue inspiring change in the sector. Watch this space for updates on our initiatives and on further opportunities for continued dialogue.
The Network is open to members from all regions; access is included as part of the CASE membership. Each journey into HE Educational Advancement is unique, and we hope that you will join us in continuing to shape the diverse CASE advancement talent pipeline going forward.
We are excited to see what we can achieve together with all our members!
Magda Joshi & Laney Wang
Chairs of CASE Multi-Cultural Network