IDEM- Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Mobility

The IDEM project was established to increase the participation of underserved students in mobility programmes by addressing systemic barriers that hinder access. Research and previous Erasmus+ projects have demonstrated that students with disabilities, refugee backgrounds, low-income status, or caregiving responsibilities remain significantly underrepresented in mobility opportunities. Despite financial support mechanisms such as social top-ups, many students still choose not to participate due to psychological, social, and emotional barriers. IDEM aimed to identify and mitigate these obstacles by improving pre-mobility preparation, creating accessible learning environments, enhancing administrative support, and strengthening psychological and social safety nets. Through structured activities such as Inclusion Training and Bootcamps, the project developed practical solutions to ensure that mobility is truly inclusive. By embedding these measures into institutional strategies, IDEM promoted sustainable, equitable access to international opportunities in higher education.

The primary objective of IDEM was to increase the participation of students with fewer opportunities in mobility programs while embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into university policies and internationalisation strategies. The project aimed to identify the personal, emotional, and psychological barriers that prevent student participation in mobility programs and to develop an inclusive mobility model that ensures equitable access for all students. By piloting and testing new mobility strategies within the Unite! Alliance, IDEM sought to provide concrete solutions to make mobility more inclusive. Additionally, the project focused on creating practical tools, in the form of an IDEM Toolkit, to support universities in implementing inclusive mobility strategies. A crucial goal was to advocate for systemic change by engaging students, faculty, administrators, and policymakers in co-developing sustainable solutions for more accessible international study opportunities. By transforming institutional practices and fostering policy innovation, IDEM aimed to establish inclusive mobility as a core element of higher education’s internationalisation efforts.

The IDEM project resulted in two key outputs: the IDEM Mobility Guidelines and the IDEM Toolkit. Both serve as essential resources for European universities, supporting the implementation of inclusive mobility practices and ensuring that international opportunities are truly accessible to all students. IDEM Mobility Guidelines The IDEM Mobility Guidelines were developed to increase the number of underserved students in mobility and to contribute to building a more inclusive higher education system within the Unite! Alliance and beyond. These guidelines align with important European policies, including the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programs, the Erasmus+ Charter, the European Council's strategic priorities, the European Commission’s horizontal objectives, and the social dimension frameworks outlined in the 2007 London Communiqué and the 2020 Rome Communiqué. The guidelines identify disempowering and empowering factors before, during, and after mobility and provide actionable recommendations for institutions to facilitate truly inclusive mobility experiences. They emphasise the importance of institutional commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) policies, ensuring that underserved students receive equitable opportunities in international exchange programs. A multi-method approach was employed to gain deep insights into the experiences of underserved students to develop the IDEM Mobility Guidelines. Four key activities contributed to this process: - Inclusion Training, which provided foundational knowledge and set the stage for collaboration on inclusion-related challenges in mobility. - Bootcamp I, which explored the phenomenon of self-exclusion and the decision-making processes of underserved students. - Bootcamp II examined psychological safety and inclusive environments during mobility. - Questionnaires collected data from underserved students across Unite! universities regarding their mobility experiences. Responses were collected before mobility (N = 35 + 18), during mobility (N = 31), and after mobility (N = 18). Triangulation of methods was applied to ensure robust findings and minimise bias. These student experiences shaped the final IDEM Mobility Guidelines, making them a practical and impactful resource for universities seeking to improve inclusivity in their mobility programs. IDEM Toolkit The second major outcome of the IDEM project was the IDEM Toolkit, a structured and practical framework designed to support systemic change in mobility programs. This toolkit is built around four key elements, each addressing a critical aspect of inclusive mobility. The first element, New Concepts for Inclusive Mobility, represents the shared learning developed throughout the project. It introduces precise definitions that help institutions recognise existing gaps and take intentional actions to make mobility more inclusive. This element lays the foundation for meaningful change by providing precise terminology and conceptual clarity. The second element, the IDEM Squad and IDEM Clubs is a student-driven innovation that emerged directly from participant contributions. The IDEM Squad and IDEM Clubs are practical tools for fostering inclusion and belonging within mobility programs. These structures ensure that students receive peer support and guidance, strengthening their confidence in pursuing mobility experiences. The third element, Outreach & Engagement, captures IDEM’s collaborative approach to fostering inclusion. It provides universities with engagement-driven strategies to build trust with underserved students, address institutional gaps, and develop tailored programs that meet diverse student needs. This element emphasises that inclusion cannot be a passive initiative but must be actively built through student involvement and institutional commitment. The fourth element, Inclusion Officers, highlights the need for institutional anchor points to ensure sustained commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equity in mobility. Across all IDEM activities, students consistently emphasised the importance of having dedicated offices or roles that provide personalised support while advocating for structural and systemic change. Design of the IDEM Toolkit: Creative Impact through Wall Magazines A distinctive and innovative component of the IDEM Toolkit is the use of Wall Magazines designed to make inclusion-related content engaging, accessible, and impactful. These wall magazines serve as powerful visual storytelling tools, ensuring that the insights gained through IDEM are not confined to reports or policy documents but are actively displayed and discussed within universities. Wall magazines transform complex inclusion, diversity, and equity concepts into clear and actionable takeaways. Their bold graphics and engaging storytelling approach invite students, staff, and faculty to interact with the content rather than passively read information. These magazines make inclusive mobility a visible and ongoing conversation on campus by breaking down key messages into visually compelling formats. More than just informational tools, wall magazines foster interactive and collaborative learning spaces. Their large-format design encourages discussions, sparks curiosity, and facilitates the exchange of ideas among students and university staff. Unlike static reports or digital-only resources, they provide a tangible and engaging way to promote inclusivity in everyday academic settings. The impact of the Wall Magazines extends beyond awareness-raising. By making inclusion feel dynamic and approachable, they ensure that IDEM’s key messages reach a broad and diverse audience, from students hesitant about mobility to university decision-makers shaping institutional policies. Beyond developing these key outputs, IDEM has made a lasting impact on European higher education institutions. Through co-creation with students, faculty, and mobility coordinators, the project has introduced new strategies for making mobility programmes inclusive, influenced university policies, and contributed to European discussions on equity in international education. The final multiplier event in Brussels provided a platform for policy discussions and reinforced the need for systemic improvements in Erasmus+ and other mobility programs. The IDEM Toolkit and Mobility Guidelines have been widely shared across the Unite! Alliance and beyond, ensuring that European universities have access to practical, student-centred approaches to mobility inclusion. By transforming inclusive mobility from an abstract goal into a structured and actionable framework, the IDEM project has laid the groundwork for long-term institutional change. Through its research, training activities, and innovative engagement tools, IDEM has created sustainable solutions that will continue to shape international education for years.