The RUD, founded in 2021 in Valencia, is the body of confluence and representation of the Spanish universities whose scope of work includes sexual and gender diversity (sexual orientation, bodily and affective diversity, gender identity and gender expression), as well as diversity by origin, culture, beliefs and similar. This network was created with the clear will of Spanish public universities to fight against discrimination and defend diversity as an inherent part of all human dimensions, all within the framework of human rights.

In this third meeting, the UA and the UMH presented an engaging educational programme with an intersectional perspective for all the attending universities, both in person and online. It was especially relevant that a large part of the presentations and activities were given by people belonging to groups underrepresented in society. Therefore, they could speak first-hand about the realities that affect them, thus being fully consistent with the intersectional spirit of the network and setting aside the bias of the normative point of view of white, cis and heterosexual men from the Global North, which permeates the vast majority of narratives in contemporary society.

The institutional welcome took place on the 16 at the Faculty of Law of the University of Alacant, followed by the lecture ‘The role of universities in the construction of inclusive societies,’ given by Rosa María Rodríguez-Izquierdo, from the Pablo de Olavide University. In her speech, the professor analysed the actual relevance of the perspective on diversity in universities, critically highlighting how the capitalist-university system uses the discourse of diversity in its own interest and how it turns back on social movements and realities in its classic elitist and academicist vision.

Afterwards, all the participants attended on behalf of the RUD to the protest in defence of peace for the Palestinian people, which was organised by the University of Alacant.

Then, two workshops took place. The first, ‘Your prejudices for my truths,’ was carried out by Campus Rom, an association of Roma students. Its aim was to break down the prevailing stereotypes about the Roma people. The second, ‘Cluedo,’ was given by the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR) Alicante, within its project ‘Terreta de colors’ (“a Valencian Community full of colour”). In this case, the objective was to explore, through augmented reality, the traumatic experience of people who are forced to migrate.

After the lunch break, attendants enjoyed a tour around Elche, which was followed by the workshop ‘Conceptual approach to gender diversity,’ given by the specialist Juan David Santiago Torres, from the Diversity Unit of the UA. The day culminated with a visit and dinner at the Hotel Huerto del Cura, located in the heart of the Palmeral of Elche, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The 17 November started with the lecture ‘Good practices in our universities,’ which took place at the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the UA. In their speech, professors Clarisa Ramos (UA), Carmen García (UMH) and Javier Moreno (UMH) and the specialist Maria Rosa Cerdà (UPV) presented some of the training plans, research lines and available resources at their universities. The day continued with an intersectional discussion in which people belonging to different underrepresented groups in society (migrants and Roma and young people) were able to raise their voices, a casuistry that intersected in a transversal variable common to all of them: belonging to the LGBTIQ+ group in some of its different aspects.

The meeting ended with the assembly of the RUD, in which the member universities were able to discuss the next horizons of the policies of equality in diversity and the next lines of work of the network. In addition, relevant decisions were taken regarding the next in person meeting that will take place in 2024, with the University of Vigo as host.