D&I: commercial earnings model alongside social duty
By: Sezgin Yilgin en Zihni Özdil
When: Monday 20 March | 13.00 - 14.30h Location: WN.02.007, entrance Wijnhaven 99
Diversity and Inclusion (D&I): What are we actually talking about? Is it about emotions along ethnic lines or rather rational marketing strategies based on analysis and facts? D&I is not just Corporate Social Responsibility, but rather Corporate Commercial Responsibility. By using D&I, you have a revenue model, a business case for all organisations, especially in a metropolis with 170 cultures. During the workshop, Sezgin Yilgin and Zihni Özdil will take you through a way of thinking to make D&I, with sound common sense, a core part of your work.
Contact: s.yilgin@hr.nl of z.ozdil@hr.nl
Read the interview below.
'D&I goes beyond Corporate Social Responsibility'
Sezgin Yilgin, Manager of Marketing and Innovation at EMI.
"From 2006, I have worked in various job positions to increase attention for diversity and inclusion in the business world. For a year now, I have been working with pride and enthusiasm for Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, at Expertise Centre EMI. The fact that diversity and inclusion from intrinsic motivation is so high on the agenda at this organisation suits my personal motives. From day one, it felt like I was home here, like being in 'my' city.
Together with students, educational institutions, Rotterdam municipality and the professional field, at EMI we work to make a positive contribution to a vital community, future-proof economy, smart and social city. Our focus is on the areas of purpose economy, education, living, working and care.
Six EMI programmes
We try to achieve our goals by offering task-oriented education and learning and working arrangements to our students, with our six EMI programmes: Mentoren op Zuid, Student Tutors 010, Purpose Economy, Stadsleven, Vitaal op Zuid, Daddy's Place and Mama's Garden. Diversity, Inclusion and Equity is embedded in each programme.
Every year, hundreds of students, from different backgrounds, work together with the professional field to achieve learning objectives of their studies. Through the programmes, they gain valuable practical experience on the one hand and help the professional field and society on the other.
Together with colleague Zihni Özdil, I am giving a workshop on 'D&I' on Monday 20 March. Zihni will give a presentation on 'D&I, 'What are we actually talking about?' and I will give a presentation on that diversity and inclusion (can) be a business case. It's really all about perspective.
My vision of diversity and inclusion goes beyond Corporate Social Responsibility. It is more than that. In my view, D&I is also Commercially Responsible Business. Diversity and inclusion are simply a business case! Both for non-profit organisations and for business.
Rotterdam and its surroundings are home to over 170 cultures. We need to embed D&I in our future to contribute to an inclusive society where everyone feels welcome and valued."