At the start of the new academic year, the FWO SBO Engine project launches its website. The research, officially titled Tackling the EthNic Gap IN Higher Education, is a collaboration between VUB, KU Leuven, and UHasselt. It maps the ethnic gap in Flemish higher education, explores its causes, and develops solutions. This makes the project a first in Flanders.

“Today, fifty percent of young people in Flanders have a migration background, but only one in seven starts university,” says VUB professor Ilke Adam, the project’s lead promoter. “Our neighboring countries perform better, but the challenge is significant there as well. The problem does not lie with the individual — it’s structural.”

One of the major issues in Flanders is progression. “Students with a migration background are up to fifty percent less likely to pass their first year,” says project coordinator Dr. Amal Miri. “Intelligence alone isn’t enough. To succeed, students need an environment where they feel at home. Discrimination and a one-sided curriculum push them away instead.”

The research will continue for about three more years and includes a large-scale survey of 3,000 students. Based on the results, a Close The Gap toolkit will be developed, featuring policy reports, training materials, and good practices for educational institutions. “Professors’ attitudes, teaching methods, and curricula can all be more inclusive,” says Adam. “Science is not exclusively Western. Acknowledging that helps tackle racism and discrimination — and benefits not only students of color, but society as a whole.”

The Engine project brings together universities and colleges, researchers, and students. Ethnic minority students are not only the subject of study but also co-researchers. “Their experiential knowledge is indispensable,” says UHasselt PhD researcher Bengisu Girenizli. “Students experience the education system every day. Combining their input with our academic expertise leads to stronger solutions.”

The project is funded by the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO).

More info: 

Read the VUB article here: https://www.vub.be/en/news/vub-research-shows-ethnic-divide-in-higher-education