Hildesheim in equality fever: female professors shine in numbers!

Hildesheim in equality fever: female professors shine in numbers!

With its equality concept as part of the 2030 Professor Program, the University of Hildesheim has established itself as a pioneer in the promotion of female scientists. On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, it was announced that the university is part of the nationwide funding program of the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space. The aim of the program is to increase the proportion of women in professorships in salary groups W2 and W3.

Since the program was introduced in 2008, over 850 funded female professorships have been recorded nationwide. At the University of Hildesheim, the proportion of female professors is currently an impressive 42%, which is above the national average of 29%. The data also shows that a total of 63 male and 57 female professors have been appointed since 2008.

Equality policy at the University of Hildesheim

Dr. Silvia Lange, the university's central equal opportunities officer, highlights the lived practice of equality. This active equality policy contributes significantly to the high proportion of women. The funding provided by the program finances a range of measures and projects that specifically aim to promote equality, particularly for female students and scientists in early career phases.

The female professor program pursues two central goals: on the one hand, to increase the proportion of women in professorships and, on the other hand, to strengthen equality structures at universities. To do this, universities must submit equality concepts, which are then assessed by a committee before funding applications for permanent initial appointments to W2 or W3 professorships can be submitted. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) covers up to 50% of the financing, while additional funds can also be applied for through the state.

Initiatives to support female scientists

The Equal Opportunities Office at the University of Hildesheim initiates a variety of projects to support female scientists. These include certification as a family-friendly university, ProCareer mentoring for female students and graduates, and individual personnel development measures. Scholarships and positions for doctoral advancement and research applications are intended to promote the long-term recruitment of women to scientific careers.

So far, financial support has been applied for for seven female professors since 2008. It is expected that two to three additional funding applications will be added in the current program round. These measures are part of the challenges that require the sustainable implementation of the equality concept and the structural anchoring of proven and new projects.

The female professor program has had a positive impact throughout Germany since its introduction. It not only promotes equality between women and men in universities, but also helps to counteract the “leaky pipeline”, in which the proportion of women in senior academic positions is decreasing. The proportion of women with educational qualifications up to a doctorate is 46% for doctoral students and 37% for postdoctoral candidates, but the proportion of female professors is only 29%.

The third and final round of submissions for the 2030 Professor Program runs until August 31, 2025. Universities are invited to submit individual equality concepts in order to benefit from the funding. Universities that have already been awarded can receive the title of “Equal Opportunity University” and apply for additional funding in order to further expand their equality policy.

Investments in the first phases of the program amount to a total of 150 million euros. Up to 320 million euros are planned for the coming rounds. This shows the BMBF's sustained commitment to promoting equality in science, which is of great importance for the development of the university landscape in Germany.

In summary, the University of Hildesheim is an outstanding example of how targeted measures and programs can actively promote equality for women in science. The successes of recent years show that progress can be achieved with commitment and structured support measures.

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