Our Final Conference: Key Highlights and Outcomes

The TARGETED-MPI project successfully organized its final conference titled “Business and Management Schools for Shaping Inclusive and Diverse Workplaces” on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. The event, hosted by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), a member of the TARGETED-MPI consortium, was attended by 70 participants, both in person and online, and moderated by Ella Oelbrandt.

This conference brought together project partners, researchers, decision-makers, European Commission representatives, HR practitioners, and gender equality experts. They reflected on the project’s main outcomes, discussed the challenges and resistances instituions encounter while pursuing gender equality initiatives, and explored actions necessary for achieving long-term inclusive and diverse workplaces.

Opening remarks were delivered by Joel Branson, Dean of Social Sciences and Solvay Business School at VUB, and Katharina Buse, Project Officer for TARGETED-MPI, followed by Eleni Apospori, the project’s Principal Investigator from Athens University of Economics and Business.

The first session included a discussion between Jelena Angelis, a TARGETED-MPI partner from Stockholm School of Economics and Kateřina Svíčková, Head of the Gender Sector of DG Research & Innovation at the European Commission, on the state of inclusive and intersectional gender equality policies in research and innovation (R&I). They highlighted, among others, supporting measures like the EU Prize on Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) that aim to strengethen inclusivity in R&I.

Following this, a recap video was presented to the attendees, highlighting the impact achieved by the TARGETED-MPI partners within their institutions. Afterwards, Sophie Alkhaled from Lancaster University, Fida Afiouni from American University of Beirut and Eleni Apospori, Coordinator of TARGETED-MPI, offered deeper insights into the project’s methodology for developing and implementing Gender Equality Plans (GEPs). During the session, the ‘Cultural Web’ tool—a gender-sensitive framework designed to identify cultural factors contributing to gender inequality in institutions—was introduced. This tool highlighted during the project duration the common structural barriers that women face across institutions. The discussion then shifted to the key obstacles encountered during GEP implementation, including neoliberal values and individualism, institutional resistance, rigid systems, socio-cultural norms, external pressures, and political influences. Looking ahead, the speakers emphasized strategies for overcoming these challenges, focusing on the need for context-specific structural and cultural changes that are synergistically integrated.

The second half of the event featured two panel discussions, coordinated by the TARGETED-MPI project team, fostering interactive dialogue among panel speakers, project partners, and the audience:

• Panel 1: “Business and Management Schools Addressing Gender Inequality”, led by Mustafa Özbilgin, TARGETED MPI Evaluator from Brunel University London, tackled how business schools can contribute to gender equality. Speakers included Joana Vassilopoulou (Brunel University London), Daniela Bolzani (University of Bologna), and Nancy Pouloudi (Athens University of Economics and Business).
• Panel 2: “Scholarly Activism: Translating Research into Inclusive Business Practices” led by Eleni Apospori, focused on how research can be turned into actionable practices in business settings. Panelists were Carolina Wienand (Fraunhofer Institute), Charoula Tzanakou (Oxford Brookes University), Nada Genadry (Siren Associates), and Simón Perera del Rosario (PRISMA Association LGBTQIA+ in Science).

The panel discussions critically examined existing intersectional gender inequalities in R&I while exploring windows of opportunities to implement changes. Each session included vibrant Q&A exchanges with the audience, emphasizing on the complexities of the ongoing challenges that the institutions encounter while implementing intersectional gender equality measures. The need for collaborative, evidence-based efforts to foster inclusive and diverse workplaces across industries and regions was mentioned.

The event marked a successful conclusion to the 4-year run TARGETED-MPI project, leaving participants with valuable insights and action points for promoting gender equality and diversity in the workplaces.

The project’s work continues through the Gender Equality Observatories (GEO) that have been successfully established within each partner’s institution and will continue to work towards a more inclusive and equal academic environment.

Learn more about the TARGETED-MPI project here.