Joint statement: Addressing racism requires commitment from the entire workplace community
Through this statement the participating organisations remain committed to promoting anti-racist approaches within their organisations and in working life more broadly.
Anti-racism aims to reduce discrimination based on skin color, ethnicity, and origin, as well as the effects of discriminatory practices and negative stereotypes. The year-long, free-of-charge training provided participants with tools to advance anti-racist work in their everyday practices and organisational culture.
“The acceleration programme has been a key cornerstone in our efforts to build a concrete roadmap for achieving Hanken’s strategic goal of becoming a role model for DEI in the Nordic region. The training has helped me, in my role as Associate Dean for Sustainability at Hanken, to identify a number of blind spots we have had in relation to racism. It has also clarified that anti-racism has a concrete role in our DEI plan and processes,” says Nikodemus Solitander.
“At an international business school, it is easy to assume that certain things are self-evident, but if these self-evident values are not reflected in official processes and structures, we risk upholding norms and values that are not aligned with our mission and core values,” Solitander continues.
Hanken’s new DEI and equality plan has been shaped by themes and insights from the course, and the School also has concrete plans for more ambitious, impact-focused projects.
Hanken is committed to concrete actions against racism
Hanken recognises that discrimination and racism, which contribute to inequality, are widespread in our society. Addressing racism and dismantling discriminatory structures requires broad societal commitment. The School is determined to contribute to social cohesion and oppose racism through concrete actions.
“The work we’ve done at Hanken has been grounded in a dialogical method to repair harm especially in settler colonial communities. This, on the surface, may seem like overkill in an academic institution. However, the method is designed to build a community where everyone has the opportunity to be heard," says Fon Krairiksh, DEI coordinator at Hanken.
"This is the kind of culture that when grown and nurtured, enables members to confront and challenge harmful structures that advantage some while disadvantaging others. We have a long way to go, but we’ve taken some important first steps. What is encouraging to see at Hanken is that there is a will to grow into a more inclusive community, and in general, people are receptive to new ideas and guidance," Krairiksh points out.
The School aims to bring active anti-racist measures into its organisation and hope others will do the same. These actions may include:
• Assessing the realisation of equity within the organisation
• Updating equality and non-discrimination plans and strategies from an anti-racist perspective
• Integrating anti-racism into onboarding and internal training
• Developing recruitment practices to be more equitable
• Implementing inclusive leadership practices for diverse teams
• Updating action plans related to hate speech or harassment
• Advancing accessible and anti-racist communication
Racism and discrimination have no place in a well-functioning society. We believe there is a broad need for anti-racist work across all sectors. Anti-racist work does not require special skills or complex processes—everyone has the opportunity and responsibility to contribute to building an equal community and world.
Recommended reading:
On equity, intersectionality, disability, & race:
Saad, L. F. (2020). Me and white supremacy: Combat racism, change the world, and become a good ancestor. Sourcebooks.
Dolmage, J. T. (2017). Academic ableism: Disability and higher education. University of Michigan Press.
Kendi, I. X. (2019). How to be an antiracist. One World.
Salami, M. (2020). Can feminism be African? Zed Books.
Daniels, S. (2022). The anti-racist organization: Dismantling systemic racism in the workplace. Wiley.
Zakaria, R. (2021). Against white feminism: Notes on disruption. W. W. Norton & Company.
On dialogue & polarisation:
Winn, M. T. (2018). Justice on both sides: Transforming education through restorative justice. Harvard Education Press.
Baldwin, C., & Linnea, A. (2010). The circle way: A leader in every chair. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Ross, L. J. (2021). Calling in the calling out culture. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Cairo, A. (2023). Holding space: A story of love, leadership, and liberation. Triarchy Press.
Brandsma, B. (2016). Polarisation: Understanding the dynamics of us versus them. BB in Media.
For academic work done on these topics in Finland, see:
Rask, S., & Tikkanen, H. (2025). DEI in universities of applied sciences – role of training. UAS Journal, (3).
Helsinki Inequality Initiative (INEQ)
Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN)