“Inclusivity means that everyone has a seat at the table.”

Douglas Dorothal studied Veterinary Sciences as one of the few international students in the faculty. As member of the University Council, he became directly engaged with diversity and inclusion topics.

"I was always interested in diversity as someone coming from Aruba, a multiracial and multi-ethnic island. In my last Bachelor year, I was part of the University Council, where I mostly focused on improving the diversity and inclusion policy at the university.

For me, inclusion means that everyone has a seat at the table and that everyone is included. There are different types of perspectives in education and research; it also has ties with social justice and how we have treated minorities in the past, and how we are moving forward.

If I look at my own faculty, the year that I started, in 2016, it was the faculty with the least amount of ethnic or migrant diversity. But right now, they are shaping one of their Masters and making an English variant and accepting international students. I was one of the few non-Dutch born students there, and I am happy to see that they are going into a more international route."