Covering pressing issues such as immigration, policy frameworks, media representations, Dutch colonial narratives and educational justice, presenters of the 5th Connected Learning Symposium questioned dominant narratives and advanced novel agendas for social justice. The closing exhibition and spoken word performance explored the tight connections between art and activism, paying special attention to the local context of Rotterdam South and to the genocide in Gaza.
This year’s Connected Learning Symposium took place on June 6th, 2026, and was hosted for the first time at Cultuur & Campus Putselaan, a space particularly suitable for interdisciplinary conversations and community building around issues of social justice. The event brought together more than 50 participants from 7 EUR faculties and institutes (ESHCC, ESSB, RSM, IHS, ISS, ESPhil, ESL), as well as from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUAS), Amsterdam and Utrecht University.
“It reminded me that we are not just in academia for grades, but also to start conversations and shift each other's attention to the issues that need it,” said Nikola Kolos, a student in Communication and Media (ESHCC), whose work on tropes of gender and race was part of the panel session “Social (in)justice through media and the arts.”
Interdisciplinary learning and community building
In their opening words, co-organizers Isabel Awad and IBCoM intern Gloria Chitoraga underscored the quality and diversity of participants’ work. The program covered a wide scope of topics from fields as diverse as data science, history, architecture, business, tourism, pedagogy, sociology, and philosophy. Presentations offered in-depth critical analyses of cases from different parts of the world, including the Netherlands, Indonesia, Palestine, Pacific Island States, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
While there was much to learn from each other’s presentations, the organizers said, another key goal of the event was to build community, to make new friends. For this to happen, the symposium had to be a safe space for open dialogue. Farah Qchili from BUas (Breda University of Applied Sciences), said that this was precisely what she had in mind when she signed up to present her work on inclusive destination branding in Rotterdam. “One of my hopes before attending this symposium was that it would be a safe space for open dialogue, where everyone could participate first and foremost as human beings…this expectation was fully met through the thoughtful discussions, respectful exchanges, and genuine engagement throughout the day.”
The words we use and the possibilities they open
A frequent topic across all four thematic panel discussions was the importance of reflecting on the language we use and on how it shapes our perspectives and experiences. This surfaced, for example, during the Q&A with presenters in the panel “Migration, identity and structural inequalities.” They explained how terms such as assimilation and integration are used in discussions on migration, and what they imply. The session’s co-moderator, Sarah Abassi, a student in Pedagogical Sciences (ESSB), shared: “One of my main takeaways was that integration does not have to mean leaving behind parts of yourself and your culture. The ability to move between different cultural contexts while staying connected to your heritage is something that deserves recognition and appreciation.”
Similarly, in a panel about institutional and epistemic transformations for just livelihoods, presenters questioned dominant academic narratives, including the use of the term “resilience” in relation to care and inequality. “I hate the term ‘resilient’… I want to be taken care of,” explained one of the speakers, inviting the other panelists and the audience to reflect on how discourses of resilience can reproduce hierarchies and inequalities. They also reflected on how the notion of hope can be seen as a luxury of privileged people. One panelist noted that some communities may have no reasons for hope but need to keep on going and do that creatively. Language, panelists agreed, has to do with positionality. Reflecting on one’s own positionality appeared to be particularly important to understand how knowledge is produced and interpreted across different contexts.
History, arts, and activism
The panels were followed by two expositions. In one of them, three groups of students explained to their peers the research they had conducted for the course “Religion, Culture and Gender in Global Encounters.” Their posters questioned prominent narratives of Dutch colonial history displayed at Rotterdam’s Maritime Museum. In the other exposition, Amnesty International Students Rotterdam showcased their project “Reclaiming: An act of (counter) erasure,” centered on visual art from and for Gaza. Their aim, one of the organizers, Akshaj Nair, explained, was to honor the lived realities of those in Palestine and the diaspora.
The day concluded with an interactive performance by local spoken word artist and youth mentor Jason Baez. He shared three of his poems. The first, “Tulips and Roses,” reflected on the contrasts between expectations and experiences of arrival in the Netherlands, inviting reflections on histories of colonial power. He then recited “Have you ever trusted someone?” and “Thankful for everything.”
“What are you thankful for?” Baez asked participants. Their answers went from the support of family and friends to the symposium’s feeling of community. “I felt fortunate to experience firsthand how Baez combines art, coaching, and social impact to promote well-being, personal development, and youth empowerment. The atmosphere of openness and belonging that Jason brought to the event and to Cultuur & Campus was incredible,” recalled Gloria Chitoraga.
Bringing together research, dialogue, artistic expression, and activism, the symposium succeeded in expanding conversations on social justice and in nurturing new friendships, agreed Media and Communication student Valentina Someso Mundaray, who had co-organized the symposium in 2025 and presented again in 2026. She said she left feeling inspired and grateful to be part of “a truly special community.”
The Connected Learning Symposium is an annual event of the Learning for Equality project and is sponsored by Erasmus University’s Vital Cities and Citizens (VCC) initiative.
Photo album Learning for Equality Symposium 2026
The final programme of the Learning for Equality Symposium 2026
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Vital Cities and Citizens
With the Erasmus Initiative Vital Cities and Citizens (VCC) Erasmus University Rotterdam wants to help improve the quality of life in cities. In vital cities, the population can achieve their life goals through education, useful work and participation in public life. The vital city is a platform for creativity and diversity, a safe meeting place for different social groups. The researchers involved focus on one of the three sub-themes:- Inclusive Cities and Diversity
- Resilient Cities and People
- Smart Cities and Communities
VCC is a collaboration between Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) and International Institute of Social Studies (ISS).
