About the Academic Outreach Programme

Lecture hall where presentations are given.
Children playing at campus Woudestein.

All students are entitled to equal educational opportunities, regardless of their socio-economic or cultural background. However, in practice, this is not always the case. Erasmus University Rotterdam acknowledges its responsibility in contributing to a fair educational system, one in which all children, young people, and students have equal opportunities to pursue an educational path that aligns with their abilities, talents, and interests.

Vision

Equal Opportunities for Everyone

The Academic Outreach Programme (2020-2024) aims to promote accessibility of academic education. By removing systemic barriers, we seek to foster equal access to and success within academic education. Through our programme, we contribute to the vision and values of the IDEA Center at Erasmus University Rotterdam, working to make our university more inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible.

Together with colleagues at IDEA Center, we are working towards the goals mentioned above. You can read all about them, their motivations, their successes, and their favorite moments in this article.

Mission

Connecting for Equal Opportunities

Promoting equal opportunities in education is a complex challenge. Our programme is part of the IDEA Center (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access Center), which is dedicated to creating an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible university, and fostering an academic environment where everyone feels welcome and can thrive. We also collaborate extensively with internal and external stakeholders, including EUR staff, (future) EUR students, researchers, parents, schools, social organisations in Rotterdam, the municipality, and the government. Want to learn more about our network and the partners we work with towards our shared goals?

Programme Lines

The Academic Outreach Programme consists of three programme lines:

Early Outreach focuses on equal access to academic education. In this programme line, we collaborate with key stakeholder groups to develop outreach programmes and activities that address factors contributing to educational inequality. We then implement these outreach programmes and activities in primary schools, secondary schools, and across the city of Rotterdam.

Student-Centred Support works to ensure equal opportunities for success within academic education. In collaboration with other EUR departments, we aim to make student services at the university more inclusive to promote the success of all students. Our focus spans the entire academic journey, from a smooth start at the university (soft landing) to the transition into the labor market.

Building New Blocks was a funding programme for EUR students and staff (2021-2022) to develop their own outreach activities. This programme aimed to stimulate grassroots projects that could be scaled and institutionalized within the university.

Research

The Academic Outreach Programme is grounded in an evidence-based approach. When developing outreach programmes and activities, we rely on international and national scientific insights and best practices. We also study the implementation and impact of our programmes. Our research not only seeks to maximize the positive societal impact of our programmes but also contributes to a deeper understanding of the effectiveness and mechanisms behind outreach programmes.

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