EPICUR EDI Toolkit

Actions – On Diversity in EPICUR
Furthermore the issues related to university social responsibility are also regularly discussed within the AMU
Senate Committee for Communication and University Social Responsibility, which also organizes a regular series
of lectures on “A Socially Responsible University: On the role of universities in shaping pro-social attitudes”,
whose goal it is to contribute to the discussion on the importance of such values as academic freedom, diversity,
and acceptance in the context of higher education. It also serves as an opportunity to present possible threats
limiting these values.
4.2.2.2. KIT
Intercultural training for international students with and without refugee status
In cooperation with the Karlsruhe-based NGO „Freundeskreis Asyl“, the coordinating office for the integration
of refugees at the International Students Office of KIT has regularly organised two-day-workshops for incoming
international students with and without refugee status, as well as for prospective students with refugee status.
Not only intercultural communication, values and heroes in different cultures, prejudices, cultural differences
and commonalities were discussed, but also how to deal with homesickness and experiences of discrimination.
Workshop on unconscious bias
KIT offers an „Unconscious Bias“ training, which is intended to sensitize employees to this very phenomenon
and serves as a platform for discussion and fosters the development of possible options for action. The goals of
the training are to become aware of and question one‘s own biases as well as to develop and discuss options for
action to reduce „unconscious bias“ in the work context.
Critical Whiteness, discrimination-sensitive language and unconscious Biases
Some staff members of KIT’s International Office have organised (and will continue to do so) several workshops
for their department in order to become more aware of their own hidden prejudices and biases and to become
a discrimination-sensitive office.
Online training for the development of gender competence
Based on interviews with several management and executive staff as well as equal opportunity actors of KIT,
further training needs on the topic of gender competence were identified and, among other things, an online
training for the development of gender competence was developed. It contains the following 5 modules: (1)
Introduction Gender and Gender Competence, (2) Unconscious (Gender) Biases, (3) Gender equitable communication,
(4) Gender-equitable personnel selection, (5) Gender-equitable teaching, research & innovation
Empowerment for international students with experienced racism
Occasionally the coordinating office for the integration of refugees at International Students Office of KIT offers
empowerment workshops for international students who have experienced racism. The workshops offer a safe
space to share negative and violating experiences, to (re-)gain strength and to develop strategies in dealing
with such experiences.
Diversity-Day
Once a year a diversity day is organized with various talks, information desks and other actions about Diversity
at KIT.
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