Why EDI Matters

On the afternoon of Monday 8 June, the Aula Nievo of Palazzo Bo  in Padova hosts the presentation event of the book Why EDI Matters: Equ(al)ity, Diversity and Inclusion in European Universities (Padova University Press, 2025), organized by the Elena Cornaro University Center in collaboration with the Public Engagement Office of the University of Padova.

The collective text, created on a project by Annalisa Oboe (University of Padova) for and with the Equality and Diversity Working Group of the Coimbra Group Universities network, is the result of the research, practices and activism of a large group of European academics who have taken up the challenge of discussing whether and how to discuss equality/equity, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to the life of higher education institutions in democratic societies, at a time when these values are under threat in many parts of the world and also in Europe.

The meeting includes an introduction to the reasons that support the Why EDI Matters project, its objectives and contents. Afterwards, the authors of the chapters dedicated to the Italian context will present the key themes of their essays. A dialogue then opens between Gaya Spolverato, delegate for equal opportunities policies of the University of Padova, and Claudia Padovani, director of the Elena Cornaro University Center, for a comparison between the themes developed in the volume and the actions that the University of Padova is carrying out and intends to develop in the field of EDI.

The event is open to the university and the city, participation is free.