Defining diversity in global higher education: To whom does it refer and why does it matter?

On 19 March 2025, the ESC hosted a seminar exploring evolving definitions and practices of diversity in higher education, particularly in the United States and Germany. The discussion featured Sonia Giebel, Dahrendorf Postdoctoral Fellow at St Antony's, and David Johnson (St Antony’s College, Oxford). The seminar was chaired by Othon Anastasakis.

Dr. Sonia Giebel opened with a case study that drew public attention in the U.S.: the 2021 Rhodes Scholar controversy involving Mackenzie Fierceton from the University of Pennsylvania. Fierceton had self-identified as a first-generation, low-income, queer student, but media and institutional investigations later scrutinized the extent to which her personal story reflected that identity. According to Giebel, the controversy revealed the ambiguous and institutionally flexible nature of diversity categories—especially “first-generation”—which are often defined and interpreted inconsistently by universities.

This ambiguity, Giebel argued, is not accidental. Rather, it is built into institutional discourse, allowing definitions of diversity to expand or contract in response to organisational pressures. She posed a central question: is this ambiguity a source of strength—allowing for inclusivity—or a vulnerability that undermines transparency and accountability?

The transition away from fossil fuels in Europe: Geopolitical and practical implications

On 11 March 2025, the ESC hosted a seminar on the practical and geopolitical implications of Europe’s energy transition away from fossil fuels. The discussion featured Brendan Devlin, EU Visiting Fellow at St Antony’s College, and Anthony Calacino, Postdoctoral Researcher at Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations. The session was chaired by David Madden, Honorary Antonian at St Antony's.

Brendan Devlin opened by acknowledging the scale of Europe’s ambition in transitioning away from fossil fuels. Efforts are already underway on the demand side, from promoting solar photovoltaics and energy communities to reconfiguring electricity systems. However, a major shift ahead involves the deliberate decommissioning of fossil fuel infrastructure—particularly gas systems that have operated for nearly a century.

Countries like Germany and the Netherlands have announced phased closures of their gas systems. Oil infrastructure, while less complex to dismantle due to fewer pipeline dependencies, presents its own logistical challenges, especially in refining. Still, EU plans are on track: by 2027, Russian pipeline gas is expected to be completely phased out from the European system.

Devlin emphasised that this is not merely a European challenge—it is global. The transition demands simultaneous reductions in fossil fuel use and the infrastructure that supports it. Importantly, the EU is not just targeting carbon dioxide emissions but is also addressing other potent climate forcers like methane, the primary component of natural gas. Methane emissions—easier to reduce than CO₂—have risen globally since 2006, coinciding with the U.S. fracking boom. The EU has introduced methane performance standards that could exclude high-emission suppliers from the market.