All the Value of Inclusion
"An open university that supports social mobility, inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability." The message is clear in the guidelines of Bocconi's Vision 2030 and its 2021-2025 Strategic Plan: the university aims to become an increasingly inclusive space, a community where everyone, regardless of their personal characteristics, can find their place and a way to express their full potential.
We discussed this with Paola Profeta, Dean for Diversity, Inclusion, and Sustainability at Bocconi, following the publication of the second edition of the university’s Inclusive Gender Equality Plan, which maps diversity at Bocconi and outlines actions and intervention strategies to promote inclusion over the 2025-2027 period.
What is the key message of the Inclusive Gender Equality Plan 2025-27 (IGEP)?
A very clear one: Bocconi University is at the forefront of ensuring that every member of its community feels free to express their full potential, regardless of gender, gender identity, religion, country of origin, ethnicity, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, age, disability, mental health needs, or other special requirements. This, of course, entails specific commitments and efforts that the university must undertake.
Why is it important to put this commitment in writing within a formal plan?
Not only for compliance reasons (without such a plan, the university might be ineligible for certain European funding opportunities) but, more importantly, to demonstrate how significant these values and issues are for our institution today. Universities are among the key institutions responsible for promoting these values, which benefit society as a whole.
An Inclusive Gender Equality Plan is a journey: achieving all its objectives takes time, but it is crucial to set them. Establishing concrete and measurable goals allows us to track progress and ensure they are effectively implemented.
What are the objectives of this second edition of the plan?
This document builds on many principles from the first edition, published in 2021, starting with the decision to adopt an all-encompassing approach to inclusion—not just focusing on gender diversity. This approach aligns with best practices at the European level.
Specifically, this second edition identifies seven key macro-areas of intervention: Inclusion in top-level strategies; Communication of organizational culture; Prevention and management of discrimination and violence; Integration of diversity and inclusion in research and teaching; Work-life balance; Gender balance in leadership positions and decision-making bodies; Gender equality in recruitment and career advancement. For each of these seven areas, the plan outlines designated staff, resources, actions, timelines, and intervention methods.
What are the key updates compared to the previous plan?
The updates primarily focus on targeted actions for preventing violence, as well as initiatives related to wellbeing and mental health. Additionally, there is an increased emphasis on addressing the gender gap in career progression. The plan also includes the development of communication strategies on discrimination-related issues and the integration of inclusion principles into all of the university’s communication efforts.
Alongside this initiative, Bocconi is also pursuing Gender Equality Certification.
As some companies have already done, the university has embarked on this process as well. The IGEP and the Gender Equality Certification reinforce one another, both contributing to the promotion of a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion—values that, as I mentioned, are strategic for Bocconi University.