Fostering collaborative approaches to gender equality interventions in higher education and research: the case of transnational and multi-institutional communities of practice

Higher education and research innovation in Europe continue to suffer from an indefensible waste of female talent gender inequality. The European Commission recommends that these organizations adopt equality plans (GEPs) other initiatives for institutional change. However, the levels readiness, expertise, experience with such interventions are wide-ranging across institutions member states, thus collaborative approaches might be particularly valuable. Drawing on experiences transnational multi-institutional communities practice (CoPs) (GE), we illuminate how CoP approach supported change agents, who leveraged membership respond challenges promoting GE initiatives. Being part collaborative, co-designed CoPs learning, knowledge sharing, provided external support agents’ activism allowed them build legitimacy around work. members this through learning opportunities, transfer, sharing practice, political support, solidarity stakeholders. Findings also show when were transnational, multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, their heterogeneity did raise some relation divergence members’ contexts geopolitical idiosyncrasies should considered designing which transcend national boundaries.