What began as a small discussion in 2023 has evolved into an annual, growing movement: a conference hosted by the Office of Learning Support (OLS) at Ashoka University, dedicated to fostering dialogue and action on inclusive higher education in India. Conclave 2.0 (2024) focused on “Building Foundations for Inclusive Higher Education.” The year that followed saw the creation of Idea Lab Groups—collaborative working teams composed of Conclave participants focused on inclusive higher education at both the practice and policy levels.

This year, Conclave 3.0 aims to take a step forward in advancing a national network and launching an open-source database that institutions across the country can use to design and strengthen their own inclusive practices.
 

The Conclave will:

• Share outcomes from the Idea Lab groups
• Serve as a space to connect with and join Inclusive University Alliance (IUA) – a national network of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and allied organisations committed to advancing inclusive education
• Unveil the open-source database developed through the Idea Labs initiative 
• Open space for dialogue on emerging and underexplored issues in the inclusion landscape
   

Key Themes at Conclave 3.0 

• Sharing Learnings: Presentation of the database created through Idea Labs and the IUA network membership model
• Policy Advocacy: Discussion of a collaboratively developed advocacy note aimed at influencing government policy on inclusive higher education
• Faculty Perspectives: Insights from faculty members who champion inclusive pedagogy – sharing classroom strategies, tips, and real-world practices
• Assistive Technology (AT) Integration: A step-by-step guide for institutions to assess, plan, and implement AT support for students with disabilities
• Inclusive Campus Placement: Approaches and best practices for making campus recruitment processes accessible and supportive for students with disabilities