Ghent 2026

Diversity at the workplace

25th EASOM Summer School Ghent, Belgium, 27- 29 August 2026

First announcement by Lutgart Braeckman

Information Flyer

The Theme:

What is it about?

Diversity in the workplace refers to the presence of employees from a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, ages, genders, abilities, and other characteristics within an organization.

‘Neurodiversity’ is a way of saying everyone’s brain is different. A neurodiversity approach views autism and other forms of ‘neurodivergence’ – e.g. ADHD, learning difficulties - as natural variations in people and not as “abnormal”.

Why it this important (to teach)?

Workplace diversity creates a dynamic and inclusive environment. Promoting workplace diversity provides a space where everyone feels valued and respected for the viewpoints, ideas, perspectives, and experiences they bring. It creates a sense of belonging, that makes people want to stay, contribute, and enjoy showing up to work.

Inclusion enhances well-being and motivation, reduces work-related stress, and lowers absenteeism and staff turnover, thereby promoting greater stability and continuity of talent. It also encourages more open and constructive communication, improving coordination and effectiveness in day-to-day work.

From a productivity perspective, inclusive environments enable organisations to fully harness the diversity of skills, experiences, and perspectives, particularly when supported by a climate of psychological safety. This leads to better decision-making processes, increased innovation, and more effective resolution of complex problems. Individuals show higher levels of engagement and perform better when they know their contributions are valued.

Implementing diversity initiatives can present various challenges, including resistance to change, mis-communication, and insufficient leadership support. It is important that healthcare professionals and managers understand the different types of diversity in the workplace, as some characteristics, such as race, gender and religion, are protected by law.

The occupational physician can be the central point of contact, as he or she acts as the link between all parties involved. He or she is familiar with the workplace and can consult with the company's HR department, employees and trade union to promote diversity and facilitate inclusion at work.

How to equip students with appropriate knowledge and skills to deal with diversity challenges?

Medical education can contribute to better care and inclusion by developing, implementing, and evaluating curricula on cultural, linguistic and ability differences in healthcare.

The faculty of medicine and health sciences in Ghent is putting diversity consciousness into (Teaching) Practice. Come and join the discussion about a diversity-conscious approach, in which diversity is seen as enriching the learning process for all students.

Training occupational physicians in these competencies will ensure that our workforce is representative of our society and that our working environment is inclusive and will enable every person to use their full potential.

Preliminary program - subject to change

Thursday, 27-08-2026, Topics: Migrants and Foreign students

08:45 - 09:15 Registration

09:15 - 09:30 Welcome - Begoña Martínez-Jarreta/ Dean/ Lutgart Braeckman

09:30 - 10:00 Keynote "Diversity: general overview" - Antonio Baldassarre and Nicola Mucci (Italy)

10:00 - 10:30 Keynote "New Workers, New Hazards at Work: Addressing Psychosocial Aspects in a Diverse Migrant Workforce" - Francisco Díaz-Bretones (Spain)

10:30 -11:00 Coffee break

11:00 - 12:30 Joined hybrid mini symposium EASOM-EPICOH

  • Labour market disadvantages of citizens with a migration background: a systematic review - Louise Devos (Belgium)
  • Occupational health of migrant workers - Emine Aktas (Spain)
  • Characteristics and longitudinal trajectories of immigrant workers who participated in the WTC recovery - Rafael E. de la Hoz (USA)
  • Occupational injury due to accidents among native-born Swedes and immigrants working in Sweden - Emelie Thern (Sweden)

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch

13:30 - 15:00 Training practices and experiences (1)

  •  Workshop on training diversity - Jeanine Suurmond (The Netherlands)

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee break

15:30 - 16:30 Training practices and experiences (2)

  • Supporting migrants, foreign students- in training and at work 
  • Protective measures for workers who welcome migrants & Health surveillance protocols adopted for migrants who become workers in Italy - Veronica Filetti & Paola Senia (Italy)
  • The experience of hosting Palestinian students at the University of Catania - Venerando Rapisarda & Giuseppe Sferrazzo (Italy)
  • Experiences from other countries

16:30 - 16:45 Miscellaneous

  • Journal "Work and Health" - Pierluigi Cocco (UK)
  • European OM exam - Fabriziomaria Gobba (UEMS)

16:45 - 17:00 Break

17:00 - 18:30 EASOM General Assembly

18:30 - 20:00 Reception (included when registered for the full program)

Friday, 28-08-2026, Topics: Migrants, Neurodiversity and Workers with physical disabilities

08:30 - 09:00 Registration

09:00 - 10:30 Migrants: Practices and examples

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 - 12:30 Workshop Migrants: practices (EASOM members)

  • Discussion in small groups on how to address different issues, such as low-educated migrants

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch

13:30 - 15:30 Neurodiverse and physical disabled workers 

  • Neurodiversity management in the workplace
  • Perceptions and knowledge about neurodiversity in the workplace - Alberto Rodríguez and Francisco Javier Quintero (Spain)
  • Management of workers with disabilities: an Italian perspective - Ermanno Vitale & Francesca Vella (Italy)
  • Physically disabled persons - Corina Oancea (Romania)

15:30 - 15:45 Break

15:45 - 16:30 Visit Revalidation Centre - Demo Ergo Kit (FCE) (UZ Ghent Campus, K7)

20:00 - ... Social event with dinner in the Ghent City Center (included when registered for the full program)

Saturday, 29-08-2026, Topics: Transgender persons and Low socio-economic status

08:30 - 09:00 Registration

09:00 - 10:30 Transgenders and diverse persons - Joy van de Cauter and Transgender Infopoint (Belgium)

  • Surveys in Belgium & Europe
  • Transitioning and RTW 
  • Tools for the workfloor

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee break

11:00 - 12:00 (Low) socio-economic status - Lex Burdorf (The Netherlands)

12:00 - 12:15 Introduction to Summer School 2027 

12:15 - 12:30 Summary of the Summer School 2026

The conference will be held at:

From Address:

Campus University Hospital Ghent,
auditorium Nobel (see n° 7 on campus plan)

Address:Corneel Heymanslaan 10,  City: 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Transport bus and tram : Route Planner - De Lijn

Touristic Information : Ghent, more than a one night stay | Visit Gent

Hotels:

There are different options to book

  1. full program 2,5 days for 300 €
  2. 1-day 27/08 for 150 €
  3. 1-day 28/08 for 150 €
  4. 1/2-day 29/08 for 50 €

 

More information:

Register via the Website of Ghent University: https://ghall.ugent.be/EASOM-Summer-School-GhentTo register for a study day see our manual.

First you need to generate an account on the university website. For help see our manual.

We look forward to welcoming you to Ghent!

© EASOM 2026