Driving Diversity and Inclusion:
Announcing the first round of projects of the ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund
At ENHANCE, our mission is to empower students to drive transformative change in higher education. The Diversity Seed Fund embodies this vision by supporting innovative, student-led initiatives that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion across our universities. This year, we are proud to select 13 outstanding projects from seven ENHANCE member institutions, each a testament to the creativity and commitment of our academic community.
Empowering Student Initiatives
By fostering bottom-up engagement, the Diversity Seed Fund transforms passionate ideas into tangible projects addressing real-world challenges. These initiatives range from promoting gender diversity in engineering and advocating for gender-neutral facilities to harnessing the power of art and AI-powered mentorship to build inclusive environments. Every project contributes to our broader goal: cultivating an academic landscape where every voice is valued.
Spotlight on Student Motivations
In the first selection round, the following projects were succesful in securing funding by the ENHANCE Diversity Seed Fund:
- Advancing Together: Women in STEM Innovation Conference: Supporting women in STEM with networking, leadership opportunities, and career development (TU Delft)
- African Students Day 2025: Empowering African students in Europe to engage in climate action and sustainability efforts. (RWTH Aachen University (Project Lead) & ETH ZĂĽrich)
- Exhibition “Togetherness in Diversity”: Exploring exclusion and inclusion in relation to urban transformation and industrial heritage in Poland (TU Delft)
- Equality Day: Raising awareness about equity and diversity through workshops, art, and discussions during Pride Month (Gdańsk Tech)
- To Pee in Peace: Advocating for gender-neutral bathrooms to create safe and inclusive spaces (Universitat Politècnica de València)
- Mental Health Week: Promoting mental well-being with community events (Gdańsk Tech)
- Valencian Innovative Engineering Women: Promoting gender diversity in engineering through discussion boards (Universitat Politècnica de València)
- AI-Powered Mentorship Platform: Connecting underrepresented students with mentors using AI tools to support study-abroad opportunities (Chalmers University of Technology)
- ENHANCE Connect: Bridging cultural and language gaps for non-European students to foster inclusion and engagement (Warsaw University of Technology)
- MOSAIC: Fostering creativity and inclusion through art, focusing on the experiences of FLINTA students with migrant backgrounds, presented in an exhibition. (Technische Universität Berlin)
- Queer Poetics: Exploring LGBTQ+ identities through artistic expression, culminating in a public exhibition (Universitat Politècnica de València)
- The Spoon Theory: Using an interactive game to raise awareness about the challenges faced by individuals with chronic illnesses (Universitat Politècnica de València)
- Voices as One: Empowering students to express ideas on inclusion and equality through music and poetry (Universitat Politècnica de València)
What’s Next?
All projects are now in the preparation phase and have received their initial funding. With an additional €11,000 available for future rounds, we continue to welcome new, innovative proposals from students eager to shape a more inclusive academic community. For updates on upcoming funding rounds and detailed information, please visit our Diversity Seed Fund page ..
Your vision could be the next catalyst for change! Stay tuned as we share progress updates and celebrate the impact of these projects. If you have a project idea or need further information, reach out to us at diversity@enhanceuniversity.eu.
Together, we can drive a future where diversity and inclusion are at the heart of academic innovation.
