The 16th DiGENet Dialogues, titled “Research. Evidence. Strategy. Shaping Diversity Successfully”, brought together leaders, researchers, and practitioners from across the Berlin University Alliance to discuss how academic institutions can more effectively integrate diversity and equal opportunity into their strategic development. Central to the event were research presentations from the DiGENet Junior Research Groups, whose work spans large-scale surveys on meritocracy and discrimination, institutional responses to harassment, and targeted equity interventions in medicine and STEM. A panel discussion with the presidents of the four BUA institutions engaged directly with the groups’ evidence-based recommendations, sparking dialogue on how structural transformation can be grounded in research. Emphasizing the need to shift the focus from marginalized individuals to systemic change, the event underscored the potential of interdisciplinary, data-driven strategies for sustainable impact.