A workshop on improving higher education to ensure inclusiveness, accessibility and academic freedom 

During October 16-20, 2023, the KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm, Sweden) hosted a Workshop dedicated to improving higher education to ensure inclusiveness, accessibility and academic freedom.

Workshop participants actively explored the strategy of organizational development at KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The main emphasis was placed on improving the educational process and maintaining the quality of educational programs. The presented materials and experience related to the implementation of modern approaches to education, in particular digitalization and inclusiveness. The participants analyzed the strategies of successful universities in these aspects and shared practical implementation examples. The discussion also concerned ensuring the quality of educational programs and supporting the quality of education in general, which included consideration of assessment tools and methods. 

The participants actively studied the processes of ensuring the quality of higher education in Sweden and considered inclusive approaches in education. Special attention was paid to strategies for achieving high quality education and scientific research. They discussed the methods and practices used in Swedish universities to ensure the quality of education, as well as the introduction of inclusive approaches to the educational process. The participants analyzed successful practices and experiences on these issues, jointly searched for effective methods of improving the quality and accessibility of education for all categories of students. 

University representatives studied in detail the process of digitization and the introduction of sustainable development ideas into education. They discussed not only theoretical aspects, but also shared practical experience in developing appropriate policies, approaches and tools to implement these ideas in practice. Participants expressed their thoughts and ideas on how to ensure the successful integration of digital technologies and principles of sustainable development into the educational process. This contributed to the exchange of best practices and the expansion of ideas about the possibilities of modernizing education taking into account modern requirements and challenges. 

Members of the working groups carefully discussed the courses and educational programs where the introduced initiatives had the widest implementation, sharing best practices. They also studied in detail the institutional strategy of digital transformation of higher education, analyzing its effectiveness and implementation possibilities. The discussion helped to understand the key aspects of the integration of digital technologies in the educational process and facilitated the exchange of experiences between the participants. 

Materials on inclusive learning and teaching, which will be used in the multi-institutional inclusive virtual campus, were also discussed during the meetings. The meeting ended with KTH thanking the Royal Institute of Technology for holding the workshop.During June 26-29, 2023, a Workshop on Institutionalization and Inclusive Digital Education was held at the University of Lisbon, in which representatives of project participants took part.