Our approach

At ECIO, we believe that everyone has the right to learn, develop and participate. That is why we are committed to education that is accessible, inclusive and mentally healthy. From our expertise and with a strong network, we support educational institutions on four powerful pillars.

Our approach to structural change

1. We put important themes on the map and influence policy. With inspiring stories, campaigns and events, we make inclusion visible and tangible. This is how we reach and touch a wide audience.
2. Implement and advise: we support educational institutions with practical tools, handouts and advice. Through guest lectures, workshops and contributions to conferences, we help turn plans into action.
3. Research and knowledge sharing: we conduct practice-oriented research and translate insights into usable knowledge. We share this through publications, meetings and existing networks to further strengthen the education field.
4. Collaborate and connect: we build bridges between people, organizations and sectors. By establishing and strengthening networks, we create collaborations focused on inclusion. Think theme sessions, communities or co-creation projects.

We do this together with partners such as student organizations, interest groups, regional networks and the business community. Our approach is future-oriented and aligns with trends such as digitization, flexibilization and personalized learning.

International cooperation

LINK network

To make education more accessible and inclusive, it is important that we learn from each other. At the European level, we do this through the LINK network(Learning Inclusively Network + Know-how). Together with international partners AHEAD (Ireland), DSIS (Slovenia), NADP (United Kingdom), SIHO (Belgium), Stockholm University (Sweden) and Universell (Norway), we share knowledge, experiences and inspiring practical examples. This collaboration contributes to improving the quality of services for students with support needs in college/university education in Europe and beyond.

National Working Group on Inclusive Internationalization

Together with national partners Expertise Center for Diversity Policy(ECHO), ISO, LSVb, Ministry of OCW, MBO Raad, NA Erasmus+, Nuffic (chair), Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) and Universities of the Netherlands(UN), ECIO works on inclusive internationalization opportunities. Our goal: to give students with a disability or support need the opportunity to study or intern abroad without barriers. Our pillars are:

1. Taking stock: identifying needs through a national problem analysis and translating them into a national agenda including internationalization.
2. Connecting: aligning the definition of inclusion, highlighting the importance of accessible international education and sharing knowledge and initiatives
3. Strengthen: implement actions together to remove bottlenecks that hinder inclusive internationalization.