Who are we?
We are a group of students concerned about issues of diversity and discrimination at the Bauhaus Universität Weimar. We are part of the diversity office and are working inside the university's structures to support and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the university. When students experience discrimination on or off campus, we, the Diversity Guides can be their first point of contact when it comes to dealing with these situations.
What is diversity?
For us, diversity is an action, a practice of including, involving and acknowledging differences in people. The world and living conditions are not the same for all people. Depending on certain attributes, our living conditions are very diverse. Also, society and the structures in which we move don't treat all people in the same way or with the same amount of respect. Recognizing these differences and the diversity between people is the beginning of the path to a discrimination-free society and respectful coexistence. But this recognition alone is not enough. We must actively oppose discrimination of all kinds, such as on the basis of religion, class, different social, educational, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, and gender identity, disability, mental illness or age.The university as any institution is not free from discriminatory practices and behaviours. We as the Diversity Guides focus on the wishes and needs of those affected. Be it discriminatory university staff, teachers or colleagues, a specific situation or structural discrimination in institutions, feel free to approach us! Together we can find individual solutions and suitable offers of help to deal with discrimination, whether on an institutional level or personal.
Everyone should have a place in our university.
Team Members
Zeinab Rahimi
I am an Iranian architect, currently pursuing an interdisciplinary approach between art, technology, and design by studying master's degree in MediaArchitecture at Bauhaus University. Due to my personal experience of living and studying in three different parts of the world; East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, I have experienced radical cultural differences. In coping with the culture shock, I realized how important it is to have a critical understanding of the diverse world we are living in. Being a Diversity Guide is where I can place my hopes and effort to support diversity, a place where I can believe that no one is out to fit into the so-called predefined social norms. This place gives me the courage to accept who I am as well as to accept and support other people just the way they are. We are enough to be loved and supported just the way we are.
Jay Steinert
Hi, I'm Jay. I'm white, queer & nonbinary, using "they/them" pronouns in english and "hen" / none in german. I started studying "Visual Communication" in 2019 and have since then focused on intersectional queer-feminist activism at the university. With the Diversity Guides I hope to create safer spaces for students from marginalized communities here in Weimar. As I am living with a chronic illness I understand that every person has different needs in general but also regarding our studying journey. I hope that the Diversity Guides will be a good first step for looking after those needs individually and finding structures that work for us. Navigating through the university structures - be it because you're queer and want to change your name or because of other issues regarding your identity - can be hard and scary and I hope as a Diversity Guide I can be a helping hand for everyone who needs it.
Camilo Londoño Hernández
I am a Colombian queer artist, writer, and independent curator studying the Master in Public Art and New Artistic Strategies. My work concerns breaking the structural meaning of the text by the intersections of photography, writing, and cinema. Through formats and materials such as photobooks, video installations, films, and writings, I explore the fragility and temporality of everyday life. From this standpoint, I question for the city as an organism, the street as stories, the evocation of the landscape, the gestures of intimacy, and grief. Thus, I move from words to images drawing narrative spaces that enunciate the movements of the body over language and its forms.
Ipek Aydin
Hello! I am İpek and I am a Turkish architect who is currently studying master's MediaArchitecture at Bauhaus University. I am interested in interdisciplinary work and collaboration between art, architecture and media. I believe that diverse perspectives play a vital role in creating innovative and inclusive spaces. As a queer woman and international student, I hope to contribute to celebrating diversity in the University and help support others when they need it. I understand that often navigating needs and handling bureaucracy as part of a marginalized community is hard and wish to share my experiences to make your study life easier.