"I always look for opportunities to spread the word about best practices amongst students and colleagues. For instance, how to make student learning groups or teaching material more diverse and inclusive, or how to include a female perspective in a design research project. My experience is that this matches wonderfully with the “can do” mentality at TU Delft. Anyone could choose this very informal approach if they like. In addition, I am in the lucky position to approach diversity and inclusion policy from my more formal positions within and outside TU Delft."

"For my interview with the Career Advisory Committee, I made sure that the external committee member was an accomplished female scientist. Only a woman can fully appreciate the challenges of another woman in their career development."

"Our university can play a leading role in society by fostering the potential of women, while striving for equity and equality. We cannot afford to deprive ourselves of the contributions of half of our population. At TU Delft we actively work on identifying the needs and addressing the critical challenges of female staff and students. Along with the recently established Diversity & Inclusion Office, we have created a network of faculty D&I officers and representatives across organizations to accelerate positive change towards a diverse and inclusive university community through dialogue, insight data and structured interventions."

"A safe work or study environment is a more than a prerequisite for great accomplishments – it’s a human right. For anyone at TU Delft who encounters harassment or struggles with other integrity related issues, the team of confidential advisors are here to offer support. If you need a listening ear, please feel free to get in touch."

"A safe and inspiring work or study environment is a more than a prerequisite for great accomplishments – it’s a human right. The TU Delft team of confidential advisors is here to offer support to anyone at TU Delft who encounters harassment or who struggles with other integrity-related issues. If you need a listening ear, please feel free to get in touch."

"Solidarity towards women starts with awareness: about what and when do I have a bias? Do I put equity into practice? When can I support someone in a difficult situation? And when should I give space to someone else? Becoming more aware is sometimes confronting! Because you will also notice when your actions were not inclusive. But we all have our blind spots. That is not something to be ashamed of, but something to work on."

"As a board member of the Executive Board of TU Delft, and as a woman, I find it important and inspiring to support and facilitate women in developing their talents and careers. TU Delft is an inclusive community. We believe that diverse teams are more successful teams. I contribute to this by monitoring equal representation in (leadership) positions, making time in my diary for female talent, and by putting the spotlight on women, especially on this International Women’s Day."

"Each one of us is sensitive to small cues from the environment. Most of us immediately feel whether we are comfortable enough to speak out on our ideas. When talking to different female scientists at TU Delft, I often felt that their environment could do more to promote their self-expression, both scientifically and personally. For a more tolerant, open and creative academy, I would suggest to practice soft skills, leadership and communication skills among group leaders on a regular basis. Instead of solving isolated issues, routine trainings given by professional, passionate and dedicated personnel seem to me a better way to actively maintain a supportive work environment."

""I give my students in class a gender bias riddle to show the power of gender stereotypes. Every year, both male and female students struggle with the right answer. After a discussion with a colleague, I became aware that I was biased when writing recommendation letters for students. Adjectives such as “hard-working” or “reliable” often came to mind first for female students. Ever since that conversation, I am carefully selecting my words in the recommendation letters."

"What I found super interesting to learn is that the words we use in vacancy texts can be more appealing to men or the other way around. For example, a candidate "is a leader" compared to "can give direction to a team". This also means that a selection committee can become biased by these words. You can therefore consciously look for words that are perceived as neutral, so that you have a better chance that you really select the best person for the position."

"As a Bangladeshi student at the TU Delft, I prioritize using the opportunities here to the fullest, representing internationals and women in and beyond science, highlighting that you don’t have to label yourself to a specific gender to access or lead a position. As the Chair of Lijst Bèta, the Central Student Council, I don’t control all that happens around me, but I decide to not be reduced by it."

"I learned that selection committees for grants and positions can be biased towards criteria that women feel less affiliated with or that are harder to be fulfilled by women. As a member of such committees, I try to raise awareness on this issue so that qualified women come more into the picture during such selections." "