We use cookies on our website. What is in a cookie?
Skip to content
Bridging Science to Practice

  • Switch naar Nederlands NL EN

  • Search
    • Publications
    • Menu
    • Home
    • News & Agenda
    • Projects
    • Collaborations
    • Experts & Expertises
    • Tools & Products
    • Working at KWR
    • About KWR
    • Contact
    • Publications
    • Year Review 2022
    • Privacy

    Switch naar Nederlands NL EN

    Close

      Diversity and inclusion

      • About KWR
      • Knowledge and innovation model
      • Publications
      • Organisation
      • Research agenda and quality assurance
      • Our building
      • Working at KWR
      • Back to organisation

      KWR has identified a diverse and inclusive organisation as one of its strategic priorities in its 2021-2030 Business Plan.

      Diversity is about differences among people. In terms of KWR and diversity policy, this means acknowledging and positively valuing differences between colleagues. It is about the impact on the level of diversity in the organisation and the attitudes of colleagues in this respect. Differences include, for example, gender, age, sexual orientation, cultural background, level of education, religion, height, and physical and mental challenges at work. Differences can be visible and invisible.

      Diversity is not the same thing as inclusion. In an inclusive organisation, people have the space to be themselves, they feel safe and they have equal opportunities to develop. In this respect, there is an awareness that colleagues are related to one another and depend on one another.

      So where diversity is about acknowledging and valuing differences among and between people, inclusion focuses on a culture in which identity, safety and solidarity are important.

      The value of diversity and inclusiveness policies to our organisation can be seen in:

      • Colleagues who feel recognised and valued in their individuality and qualities feel trusted. This enhances job satisfaction and commitment. It also makes KWR an attractive employer.
      • The social issues on which KWR works are complex, in part because of the different perspectives of stakeholders. Diversity among our colleagues improves our ability to grasp that complexity.
      • With a diverse group of colleagues and an inclusive culture, we are better able to establish longer-term and meaningful connections with our partners such as our shareholders, clients, fellow research institutes and society as a whole in the Netherlands, Flanders and internationally.
      • Space for difference and interconnectedness boosts the organisation’s learning capacity, innovative power and entrepreneurship.

      Key principles in our diversity and inclusiveness policy are:

      • A safe working environment
      • Listening with an open mind and without prejudice
      • Encouraging participation and engagement for all employees
      • Appreciating, embracing and learning from differences

      Gender Equality Plan

      One of the components of our diversity and inclusiveness policy is gender equality. By drafting, implementing, evaluating and further developing a Gender Equality Plan (GEP), we support the European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and the United Nations’ fifth Sustainable Development Goal: ‘Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’. When drafting the plan, we were inspired by the European Commission’s ‘Horizon Europe Guidance on Gender Equality Plans’ (2021) and a range of discussions with fellow research institutes in the Netherlands and other EU countries in our network.

      Related

      Projects

      • Water Company Standardisation Contact Group

        In 2017, the drinking water sector set up the Standardisation Contact Group for Water Companies (CND, after its Dutch initials), with the objective of delineating its responsibility and protecting its interests in…

        Read more about Water Company Standardisation Contact Group

      • Water field pilot: The Freshness of Water

        In this citizen-science field pilot project, citizens participate for the first time as actual researchers in scientific research into drinking water. With the message that tap water is a fresh product, citizens…

        Read more about Water field pilot: The Freshness of Water

      Collaboration

      • Universities

        Universities

        Read more

      Our expertises

      • Communications
        Communications
        Loading...

      News

      • KWR: knowledge partner at Aqua NL Vakbeurs
        News

        KWR: knowledge partner at Aqua NL Vakbeurs

        19 February 2024 — From 19 through 21 March the Aqua Nederland Vakbeurs exhibition will be held at the Evenementenhal in Gorinchem.…

        Read more about KWR: knowledge partner at Aqua NL Vakbeurs
      • RIWA-Rijn moves to the KWR building
        News

        RIWA-Rijn moves to the KWR building

        18 December 2023 — RIWA-Rijn will start off 2024 by moving into the KWR building. Both organisations are looking forward to sharing…

        Read more about RIWA-Rijn moves to the KWR building
      • Listen to more than thirty years of experience with drinking water infrastructure
        News

        Listen to more than thirty years of experience with drinking water infrastructure

        30 November 2023 — Jan Vreeburg will bid farewell to KWR on 30 November. On the occasion of his retirement, he is…

        Read more about Listen to more than thirty years of experience with drinking water infrastructure
      • KWR’s open-access publications: the count stands at 5,000!
        News

        KWR’s open-access publications: the count stands at 5,000!

        14 November 2023 — The five-thousandth publication has recently been added to KWR’s online library. This dissemination of knowledge contributes to solutions…

        Read more about KWR’s open-access publications: the count stands at 5,000!
      • Rita Ugarelli receives KWR Honorary Fellowship 2022 for connective leadership
        News

        Rita Ugarelli receives KWR Honorary Fellowship 2022 for connective leadership

        09 November 2023 — At a special event organised on 9 November at KWR, Rita Ugarelli was proclaimed KWR Honorary Fellow 2022.…

        Read more about Rita Ugarelli receives KWR Honorary Fellowship 2022 for connective leadership
      • Luc Keustermans awarded KWR’s seventh Honorary Fellowship
        News

        Luc Keustermans awarded KWR’s seventh Honorary Fellowship

        09 June 2023 — KWR has awarded an Honorary Fellowship to Luc Keustermans for his long-lasting commitment and drive to lay the…

        Read more about Luc Keustermans awarded KWR’s seventh Honorary Fellowship
      • Annual Review 2022: people are at the basis of our water research
        News

        Annual Review 2022: people are at the basis of our water research

        11 May 2023 — The KWR Annual Review 2022 focuses on the global water challenges. KWR performs at a high scientific level…

        Read more about Annual Review 2022: people are at the basis of our water research
      • Joint Research Programme of drinking water companies celebrates 40th anniversary
        News

        Joint Research Programme of drinking water companies celebrates 40th anniversary

        15 February 2023 — In 2023, the drinking water companies and KWR will celebrate forty years of collaboration on the Joint Research…

        Read more about Joint Research Programme of drinking water companies celebrates 40th anniversary
      • Absorbing knowledge at the Aqua Nederland Vakbeurs
        News

        Absorbing knowledge at the Aqua Nederland Vakbeurs

        15 February 2023 — Visit the Aqua NL Vakbeurs on 21, 22 and 23 March, and discover the power of KWR in…

        Read more about Absorbing knowledge at the Aqua Nederland Vakbeurs
      • Hydroinformatics is more than water and informatics
        Blog
        Prof. Dragan Savic FREng

        Hydroinformatics is more than water and informatics

        05 December 2022 — Hydroinformatics is often erroneously considered a purely technological field of developing and applying information and communication technologies (ICT)…

        Read more about Hydroinformatics is more than water and informatics
      • Co-makership towards better solutions for the water sector
        News

        Co-makership towards better solutions for the water sector

        02 June 2022 — “If there is one thing two years of living with COVID-19 has taught us, it is that working…

        Read more about Co-makership towards better solutions for the water sector
      • Applied research with an impact on working with water
        News

        Applied research with an impact on working with water

        06 December 2021 — KWR is involved in a range of research programmes, including BTO (joint research for water companies) and WiCE…

        Read more about Applied research with an impact on working with water
      • New BTO Water Matters Podcast
        News

        New BTO Water Matters Podcast

        21 June 2021 — The Dutch water utilities, the Flemish De Watergroep and the branch association Vewin, together with KWR, carry out…

        Read more about New BTO Water Matters Podcast
      • Announcement of KWR Honorary Fellow Harry Seah
        News

        Announcement of KWR Honorary Fellow Harry Seah

        04 March 2021 — KWR is honoured to announce that it has conferred its Honorary Fellowship to Mr Harry Seah, Deputy Chief…

        Read more about Announcement of KWR Honorary Fellow Harry Seah
      • Collaborating on the circular water economy for a sustainable and climate-proof Europe
        Article

        Collaborating on the circular water economy for a sustainable and climate-proof Europe

        31 December 2020 — KWR leads two big European projects that should point the way towards a circular water economy and greater…

        Read more about Collaborating on the circular water economy for a sustainable and climate-proof Europe
      • Parameter selection for water infrastructure optimization
        Column
        Prof. Dragan Savic FREng Peter van Thienen PhD Ina Vertommen MSc Karel van Laarhoven PhD MSc

        Parameter selection for water infrastructure optimization

        07 May 2020 — Water and wastewater networks are one of the major infrastructure assets providing essential service to the society. The…

        Read more about Parameter selection for water infrastructure optimization
      • Annual review 2019: ‘Connected to the world’
        News

        Annual review 2019: ‘Connected to the world’

        10 April 2020 — Our annual review of 2019 shows a productive year for KWR. On this page, we would like to…

        Read more about Annual review 2019: ‘Connected to the world’
      • KWR’s website is now more accessible for people with disabilities
        News

        KWR’s website is now more accessible for people with disabilities

        04 October 2019 — KWR’s website was today aligned with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. By following these guidelines, we…

        Read more about KWR’s website is now more accessible for people with disabilities
      All news items ()
      • Year Review 2023
      • Publications
      • About KWR
      • Contact
      • Working at KWR
      • Privacy
      • Disclaimer
      • Terms and Conditions

      Want to stay informed?

      Sign up to our newsletter and stay up to date.

      Switch naar Nederlands NL EN

      Copyright © 2025 KWR Water Research Institute is the trade name of KWR Water B.V.

      Keep in touch with KWR

      Keep in touch with KWR Sign up to our newsletter and receive our monthly newsletter.