ARC8 Expert Group on Equitable Access and Success in Higher Education

Presentation of Mary TUPAN-WENNO, Executive Director of ECHO, Centre for Diversity Policy, The Netherlands

Mary gave a 10-minute presentation. She began her presentation by providing a definition of access and success in higher education. To illustrate, she provided a visual depicting  inclusion policies, which explained how inclusion in higher education can be successful when certain elements are addressed.

Mary presents that multiple pathways to entry, an inclusive learning environment, and the sense of belonging and social safety are essential to inclusion and success in higher education. Mary proposed discussion points on the potential risks and challenges that could jeopardize inclusion efforts in the next 10 years. One example of a risk is the tendency to focus too much on access and less on inclusion. Additionally, Mary expounded on the risk of the “color-blind instead of a Color-brave approach”. 

Mary concluded by identifying opportunities and leverage points that could take inclusion to the next level in the upcoming decade, such as:

• Co-creation and collaboration with students
• Outreach and collaboration with informal and non-formal education providers
• More focus on the benefits of diversity and inclusion, and greater focus on quality, productivity and innovation in science
• Public– Private collaboration

⇒ View the Summary of Presentation here

⇒ View and download PPT slides here

Presentation of Dr Graeme ATHERTON, Director, National Education Opportunities Network (NEON)

Graeme gave a 10 minute presentation. He began his presentation by focusing on a few major issues with regard to access and success to higher education. He identified the challenges faced in developing support from both policymakers and institutions. Graeme introduced the World Access to Higher Education Day (WAHED) initiative, and related research materials, such as the “All Around the World: Higher Education Equity Policies Across the Globe” authored by Lumina Foundation in 2017.

Graeme identified two main risks that could jeopordise inclusion and success in higher education : The negative impact on the economy and finances due to COVID-19  and the digital divide.

Graeme also identified opportunities and leverage points. identified that including equity in higher education as part of the inequality agenda, as the main opportunity.

⇒ View the Summary of Presentation here

⇒ View and Download the PPT Presentation here

Presentation of Dr Dina AFRIANTY, Founder, Australia-Indonesia Disability Research and Advocacy Network (AIDRAN); Research fellow, La Trobe Law School, Australia

Dina gave a 10-minute presentation. She began by determining the status quo in the case of Indonesia. People with disabilities in Indonesia are faced by a myriad of challenges. 

One major challenge was the fact that persons with disabilities could not rely on the government. There are different sources of data on the number of people with disabilities in Indonesia. Different ministries provide different data in this regard.

According to some ministries, there is between 15% to 20% of Indonesian population that have disabilities, which is an estimate of 27 million to 35 million people with different types of disabilities, out of a 260 million population of the entire country. Based on the 2019 report of the SMRU Research Institute, the data on the prevalence of disability in Indonesia stands between 17-45% of the entire population.

Nonetheless, despite varying statistics from different ministries , Indonesia has seen significant progress in the adoption of international principles on disabilities, such as the ratification of the 2011 Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Additionally, the Indonesian government introduced the national disability law in 2016.

⇒ View the Summary of Presentation here

⇒ View and Download the PPT Presentation here