KMOP and the University of Peloponnese welcomed, from 26 to 28 April, academics, university staff and Gender Equality Committee members from Nepal, Bangladesh and across Europe for a three-day study visit focused on advancing gender equality in higher education in Asia.
Hosted in Piraeus and Corinth, the study visit created an open space for dialogue and collaboration between higher education professionals working to make academic environments safer, fairer and more inclusive. At a time when many higher education institutions continue to face gender inequalities in leadership, representation and decision-making, the study visit highlighted the growing role universities can play in driving social change beyond the classroom.
With a particular focus on universities in Nepal and Bangladesh, participants explored practical ways to strengthen Gender Equality Plans and translate institutional commitments into everyday practices that support students, academics and administrative staff alike. Through training sessions and peer-learning activities coordinated by KMOP and the University of Peloponnese, participants exchanged experiences, challenges and approaches to building more inclusive academic communities.
A key part of the programme was the contribution of Greek universities, which shared firsthand experiences from their own institutional journeys towards gender equality. Representatives from the University of Peloponnese and the University of West Attica presented practical examples of how universities can strengthen inclusion through institutional structures, monitoring mechanisms and community engagement.
The study visit was organised by KMOP within the framework of MAGENDA – Mainstreaming Gender Equality in Academia, funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. Drawing on its extensive experience in developing policies, action plans and capacity-building initiatives that promote gender equality across sectors, KMOP contributes to this initiative by supporting universities in creating more inclusive, equitable and representative academic environments.
To this end, KMOP collaborates with partners from Nepal, Bangladesh, Greece and Belgium, including Pokhara University (coordinator), Kathmandu University, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Bangladesh Open University, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the University of Peloponnese and ReadLab Brussels.
For further information about our initiatives toward fostering gender equality in higher education, you can contact us at [email protected].