The Cactus Project

UYA Diversity CACTUS knowledge clip

CACTUS Project: Cultivating Awareness and Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Students

See also the Teacher Instructions and Slides.

The CACTUS Project addresses a significant gap in the current educational resources related to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Utrecht University. In particular, with the CACTUS Project we aim to raise awareness and to stimulate critical thinking on diversity-related issues in conducting research across different disciplinary traditions among students.

While existing tools, such as the Inclusive Teaching Toolbox and the Toolbox Diversity in Education, successfully enhance teachers' abilities to integrate EDI principles into their teaching methods, they do not directly target students or engage students with their course content. Additionally, while some videos produced by the university's EDI office are aimed at students, these primarily focus on diversity within the student body and the university environment, rather than exploring how EDI principles intersect with specific academic disciplines.

To complement existing efforts, within the CACTUS Project we have developed a new dynamic educational tool in collaboration with the Teaching and Learning Lab and UYA members from different faculties. We produced a "knowledge clip" — a short video designed to spark conversations among bachelor’s students about Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) issues directly related to their field of study. This knowledge clip and the supporting teaching material will encourage students to reflect critically on how various diversity related issues, including their own positionality, influence their engagement with academic research and course content.

By including perspectives from multiple disciplines, the educational tool will enhance interdisciplinary dialogue and promote diversity-sensitive education across the University. The knowledge clip will be piloted in select courses and eventually made available to all faculties at Utrecht University, supporting the university's commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment.