Göttingen: Successful equality in the professorial sector celebrated!

Göttingen: Successful equality in the professorial sector celebrated!

The University of Göttingen has successfully positioned itself in the 2030 Professor Program and has received the title of “Equal Opportunity University”. This was confirmed by a positive report from an independent committee. The initiative aims to increase the proportion of female professors and consolidate gender-equitable structures at universities. Göttingen is one of the twelve awarded universities in the current selection round, which underlines the institution's ongoing commitment to equality and diversity. These successes are part of a comprehensive equality concept that has been systematically developed since 2008 and is now receiving new impetus.

The vice president of the university, Prof. Dr. Inge Hanewinkel commented on the milestones achieved and emphasized the importance of this confirmation for the university's equality work. Also Dr. Doris Hayn, the equal opportunities officer, highlighted the developments in equality policy that go back to 2008. The 2030 Professor Program, which was approved by the Joint Science Conference in November 2022, aims to increase the number of female professors and combat the so-called “leaky pipeline” effect.

Funding opportunities and program structure

The female professor program was launched in 2008 and has since supported over 850 professorships. Particular attention is paid to the fact that the proportion of women in higher academic positions is falling significantly. While 46% of female doctoral students take the academic path, this proportion is reduced to 37% for postdoctoral candidates and only 28% ultimately achieve a professorship. It is the aim of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to counteract this trend.

The current program extends over a period of eight years with a total of three funding rounds. The universities are asked to submit equality concepts that will be evaluated externally. Göttingen now has the opportunity to apply for up to three start-up funding to support women in permanent W2 or W3 professorships until September 2026. These funds are intended for the further development of gender equality work and, among other things, enable the funding of an additional position for a young scientist.

Long-term goals and social relevance

The BMBF is planning a total funding of over 320 million euros for the fourth program phase of the professorship program, which runs until 2030. This initiative not only supports equality between women and men at German universities, but also has the potential to strengthen international competitiveness in science and research. As a result, a more diverse and therefore more competent scientific environment is promoted, which is crucial for innovative research approaches.

In addition, the initiative wants to increase the visibility of women in science and innovation and promote gender-differentiated considerations in research. This also happens in the context of other programs that underline the importance of diversity in universities and specifically promote projects to strengthen diversity. Initiatives such as Girls’ Day motivate students to pursue career and study orientation without clichés and contribute to equal opportunities in MINT subjects. These comprehensive measures reflect the urge to understand equality not only as a social necessity, but also as a driving force for the future of science.

In summary, it can be stated that the University of Göttingen plays an exemplary role in the 2030 Professor Program. With its focus on equality and diversity, the university provides valuable impetus for structural and cultural change in the academic world, which is aimed at greater gender equality. Consequently, the University of Göttingen is not only becoming a place of knowledge, but also a pioneer in gender equality work in Germany uni-goettingen.de, bmbf.de and bmbf.de report.