Diversity and Inclusion Statement

(06-12-2021) Diversity and Inclusion Statement by the Department of Experimental Psychology at Ghent University

Diversity and Inclusion Statement

The Department of Experimental Psychology at Ghent University values the teaching,
learning, and creation of new ideas and insights through our continuous interactions, in
an environment where everyone feels included, supported, and respected, and where
each voice is heard.


As a department, we welcome and cherish different backgrounds and identities, as
characterized by our nationality, gender, race, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
(dis)ability, socioeconomic status, or first generation status. Our department aims to be a
space where we can freely exchange ideas and have open dialogues that are built on
trust and a sustained awareness of our community’s needs. We strive to be fair and
transparent in our organisation and decision making, and to be aware of power
dynamics. We do not tolerate any form of harassment.


To hold ourselves and each other accountable to these values, we default to action by
communicating any concerns to our departmental board or trust person (see below)
without fearing any consequences. In doing so, we prioritize our members’ mental and
physical well-being. Our departmental committee on wellbeing, inclusivity, sustainability,
health, and diversity, will continue to further work on these and related important issues.
The appointed persons of trust are ruth.krebs@ugent.be in our department,
lesley.verhofstadt@ugent.be in our faculty, and vertrouwenspersoon@ugent.be in our
university (see also: Charter for the promotion of psychosocial well-being).