Inclusion in Higher Education

In its broadest sense, inclusion is both an aspiration and a strategy. It refers to the ‘ideal’ and the ‘practice’ of including all, without limitations or restrictions. The aspiration is for all social groups to benefit from the world’s social, cultural, and material resources, in ways that develop their capabilities to live lives that they value. The strategy is to design policy and practice that are inclusive of all, in how social groups are able to participate in the world including how they are represented and positioned in relation to each other. Inclusion signals an interest not just in the outcome but also in how the outcome is achieved.

Exclusion provides the impetus for inclusion. Some social groups have disproportionately greater access to resources and opportunities ...