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The Centre for Social Studies (CES) of the University of Coimbra is part of GENDEII – Gender & DEI Indicators for European and Latin American Technology Companies and Related Training Strategies, a research project funded by the European Union, with a strong Ibero-American component, which will work directly with technology companies in Europe and Latin America to reduce discrimination in recruitment and career progression - including discrimination caused by artificial intelligence algorithms.

This is the first funding that CES has secured under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions - Staff Exchange 2025, one of the most competitive and prestigious programmes within the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, reinforcing the University of Coimbra’s presence in international networks of scientific excellence.

Coordinated by the University of Córdoba, the project brings together 109 researchers from 24 institutions across 10 countries in Europe and Latin America. Partners include universities, civil society organisations and companies in the technology sector, forming a platform for international cooperation that bridges academia, civil society and the business sector.

The CES’s involvement in GENDEII stems from an application put forward and coordinated by Rosa Monteiro, who leads the Centre for Social Studies’ team on the project. The team also includes researchers Patrícia Moura e Sá and Sílvia Portugal, as well as PhD candidates from the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC): Mariana Santos, Vitória Lourenço, Inês Simões and Camila Marques.

The project will seek to address the growing challenges facing the technology sector relating to attracting and retaining talent, inequalities in access to and professional development, and the impact of biases present in the artificial intelligence (AI) systems used in selection and recruitment processes. The proposal focuses not only on workplace inclusion, but also on creating organisational conditions that foster career development, whilst preventing all forms of segregation, through a holistic approach that also takes into account physical accessibility and a critical analysis of the use of AI.

To address this issue, the project will develop practical tools to support organisations: diagnostic indicators, a Manual of Gender and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Indicators, and training programmes aimed at companies and organisations in the technology sector. The aim is to help organisations attract and retain skilled talent, reduce discriminatory practices and address the specific challenges posed by the use of artificial intelligence in people management. The project also involves mapping inclusion practices in the European and Latin American technology sectors, bridging the gap between scientific knowledge and the practical needs of businesses and workers.

More than just an academic project, GENDEII aims to demonstrate the impact of scientific knowledge on society and the economy, within a global context marked by debates on the future of work, digital transformation and persistent inequalities. All resources produced - manuals, reports and practical guides - will be made available via open access, aimed at organisations in the technology sector, public bodies and civil society.

On 10 September, the Opening Seminar will take place at FEUC, marking the international launch of the project. It will be attended by the consortium’s international members, as well as national and regional organisations and technology companies invited to join the GENDEII Corporate Innovation Council.