en
Slovenščina
Italiano
Date: 7 October 2026, at 10:00 AM
Venue: Science and Research Centre Koper, Library (Garibaldi Street 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia)
Cultural diversity has become one of the defining characteristics of contemporary European societies, and demographic and social trends indicate that Europe will become even more diverse in the coming decades. However, increasing diversity does not in itself lead to greater inclusion or equality.
Despite growing cultural diversity, educational systems and other social institutions may continue to reinforce notions of cultural homogeneity, fixed identities and clearly bounded communities. Such perceptions perpetuate hierarchies between different ways of knowing and being, contributing to deeper social divisions.
How, then, can we address diversity without reproducing the very hierarchies and forms of exclusion we seek to overcome? How can we create spaces in which different forms of knowledge, experience and cultural expression can interact on more equal terms? These questions will be at the heart of the international symposium “Tackling Diversity: Reflexivity, Decoloniality & Participation”, which will take place on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, at the Library of the Science and Research Centre Koper.
The symposium brings together three interconnected perspectives that offer important starting points for addressing diversity in contemporary European societies: reflexivity, decoloniality and participation.
It will provide a platform for discussing how reflexive, decolonial and participatory approaches can contribute to more inclusive research, education and institutional practices. Particular attention will be paid to issues of representation, knowledge production, inequality and cultural hierarchies, as well as opportunities to develop practices that approach diversity as a starting point for critical reflection and co-creation.
We invite researchers, educators, students, professionals, representatives of organisations and institutions, and everyone interested in cultural diversity, inclusion, decoloniality, participation and critical social research to join us and take part in the discussion.
The project Knowledge Transfer Office – KTO is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund.
PHOTO: Alexas_Fotos/Unsplash