Rainbow realities in IHE

The current times offer a rich and varied landscape of terms, terminology and acronyms that encompass matters of gender and sexuality. From LGBTQ to LGBTQA+ to LGBTQ+2S, within the international higher education field, we often see the term ‘rainbow community’ used to capture the full scope of this picture. Notably, in the EAIE Barometer, third edition (2024), 32% of respondents indicated the topic ‘ inclusion and diversity’ to be of particular professional/personal interest, and it continues to be top of mind amongst IHE professionals, especially considering the turbulent times we currently find ourselves in across the globe.

In this EAIE podcast episode, host Laura Rumbley is joined by two practitioners from the field who share a common interest: they are both active supporters of the Rainbow Community at their institutions in their unique ways. Dirk Van Waelderen is Head of the Mobility Office at the Faculty of Economics and Business at KU Leuven, Belgium, and Nahoko Nishiwaka is Assistant Manager for the Japanese Language Programme at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan. Laura talks with her guests about what it means to view rainbow realities through an international higher education lens, some of the key challenges and opportunities for LGBTQ+ students and staff in both Europe and Japan, and shares some good practices to follow.

About Dirk Van Waelderen

Dr. Dirk G. Van Waelderen is Head of the Mobility Office at the Faculty of Economics and Business of KU Leuven. He has been working in the field of internationalisation for almost 26 years. He has published several articles on education and internationalisation and presented at seminars (also with poster presentations at EAIE and ERACON). At KU Leuven, he was promoted to Doctor with his research in Early Modern History on the portrayal of the Ottomans in the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands. He previously studied at KU Leuven and the Katholieke Hogeschool Brussel (now Odisee). At KU Leuven, he graduated with a thesis on the Ottomans and the siege of Vienna. During his studies at the latter university, he also participated in an exchange at the "Institut Orientalistique" de l’Université Catholique de Louvain.

About Nahoko Nishiwaka

Nahoko Nishiwaka is Assistant Manager for the Japanese Language Programme at Kansai University in Osaka, Japan. With over 10 years of experience in international student mobility, she has worked on both inbound and outbound programmes. During her graduate studies in International Higher Education at Boston College (USA), she developed a strong interest in LGBTQ⁺ student support. Upon returning to Japan, she founded the Kandai Ally Network at Kansai University, leading ally training initiatives to create an inclusive and equitable environment for LGBTQ⁺ students.