University of Konstanz: Top in the equality ranking for women!

University of Konstanz: Top in the equality ranking for women!

The “CEWS university ranking according to equality aspects” offers a comprehensive overview of equality at German universities and was updated in 2023 based on data from the Federal Statistical Office. The current evaluation, which has been carried out for 20 years, has placed the University of Konstanz in third place out of a total of 10 and awarded 10 out of 12 possible points. Interestingly, rank group 1, which requires full points, remained vacant. This suggests that the highest standards of gender equality have not yet been fully achieved by any university. uni-konstanz.de reports that the university received full marks in four of six categories.

The categories in which the University of Konstanz was particularly able to shine include the proportion of women in doctorates, post-docs and the increase in the proportion of women in scientific staff and professorships. Particularly noteworthy is the increase in the proportion of women in permanent professorships, which rose from 25 percent in 2018 to 31 percent in 2023. Such progress is closely linked to evident appointment management strategies that are based on the principle of gender equality and actively recruit female scientists.

Ranking methodology

The CEWS university rankings, which are published every two years and aim to promote gender equality in academia, use a threshold system. This system has fundamentally changed the 2023 ranking. Now certain limit values ​​in the indicators must be exceeded in order to be included in the respective ranking groups. gesis.org explains that the assessment is based on a cascade model that reflects different qualification and career levels, such as students, doctoral candidates, habilitation candidates and professorships.

The ranking takes into account various factors of equality, including doctorates, habilitations, junior professorships and scientific and artistic staff. These indicators are used to determine in which areas there is progress and where further action is required. In the current ranking, which was published in June 2023, the University of Cologne is placed in group 6, which represents a place in the upper midfield.

Regional and national perspectives

The University of Konstanz not only stands out in its region, but is also recognized as one of the leading institutes in Baden-Württemberg. By introducing the threshold system and taking a detailed look at equality at different career levels, the CEWS ranking attempts to motivate universities to make greater efforts to improve equality. Comparing universities with each other creates a certain competitive pressure that could promote noticeable progress in gender equality.

These goals are important not only for the universities themselves, but also for society, which can benefit from equal participation of all genders in academic career paths. At a time when equality is increasingly moving into the corporate and social discourse, rankings such as the CEWS university rankings show the necessary steps that should be taken to achieve gender equality.