The “Why” of DEI. Justification frames for DEI policies in Flemish Higher Education institutions

Across European higher education, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies have expanded significantly in response to growing demands for racial justice and representation. Scholarship has followed, seeking to describe and interpret the main features of these policies, the reasons behind them, and their effects. A central strand of this research focuses on the why of DEI: the rationales or justificatory logics that underpin institutional commitments to diversity. Critical diversity studies have long distinguished two dominant justifications: the social justice case, grounded in moral and rights-based obligations, and the business case, which frames diversity instrumentally as a driver of performance and competitive advantage. Drawing on Sarah Ahmed's work, a third logic can be identified: a compliance rationale, describing how institutions perform diversity work primarily to meet external expectations rather than to drive structural change. Crucially, Ahmed developed this insight in an Anglo-Saxon context where legal obligations, such as the Race Relations Amendment Act, explicitly compelled institutions to act. In Belgium, no comparable legal framework exists. Yet a compliance-like justification frame appears remarkably dominant, raising the question of what drives institutions when the legal imperative is absent.

About the speaker
Amalia de Roover is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Migration, Diversity and Justice within the Brussels School of Governance. She holds a Master’s degree in History (Antwerp, 2022), and a Master’s degree in Gender & Diversity (Ghent, 2024), along with a postgraduate certification in podcasting (Ghent, 2023). As part of the ENGINE (Tackling the EthNic Gap IN higher Education) project, she conducts research under the supervision of Professor Ilke Adam. Her work focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of diversity policies implemented by higher education institutions in Flanders. Amalia’s (research) interests center around themes of coexistence in superdiverse societies, anti-racism, decolonization, equity, equal rights and migration.

Registration: https://birmm.research.vub.be/form/registration-car-seminar-amalia
When: June 11, 10:00 AM until 12:00 PM
Where: VUB, Pleinlaan 5, -1 floor, room Lisbon/Rome or online (Teams)