Oldenburg University: Female power as a role model for science!

Oldenburg University: Female power as a role model for science!

On March 8, 2025, the University of Oldenburg announced that it had been accepted into the nationwide professor program. This is happening as part of a federal and state initiative that aims to promote equality between women and men at universities. The program provides the university with a significant financial commitment of up to 2.5 million euros to appoint new female professors and reduce structural barriers in science in the coming years. This message was sent by the University of Oldenburg announced and marks a further step in the increasingly necessary equality work in German universities.

Particular attention is paid to the proportion of women at the University of Oldenburg. This is currently 32.4% for female professors, which is 3.4 percentage points above the national average. This is an example of the successes of the university's equality strategy, as Vice President Prof. Dr. Katharina Al-Shamery emphasizes. Among the newly appointed professors, the proportion of female professors is almost 50%. Overall, around 57% of students are women, which reflects a positive balance among academic staff.

The influence of the female professor program

The female professorship program was launched in 2008 and has supported over 850 professorships to date. It aims to increase the proportion of women in top scientific positions and counteract the so-called “leaky pipeline”. This describes the decline in the proportion of women in academic careers: from 46% of female doctoral students to only 28% of female professors, which is significant for the BMBF represents a central theme. The program will continue in its fourth phase (PP 2030), in which a total volume of 320 million euros will be made available.

Particularly noteworthy are the positive effects of the program on the careers of female scientists. Prof. Dr. Caterina Cocchi, a physicist at the university, reports on the direct benefits her research has experienced through this initiative. With the funds provided, various projects could be realized, including the Helene Lange mentoring program for female scientists and the establishment of a family-friendly learning space.

Planned projects and future developments

The funds from the program not only enable the further implementation of existing projects, but also the initiation of new measures. These include a one-week holiday taster course in computer science for eighth-grade students, career advice for female scientists and a campaign against sexual discrimination and violence. These additional offers are intended to further support and strengthen women in science.

The gender equality balance shows that despite the positive developments, the proportion of women decreases as salary levels increase, especially for lifelong professorships. To counteract this, universities are required to submit uniform equality concepts. In addition, 92 universities successfully took part in the first selection round for the PP 2030, and 22 universities were particularly recognized for their sophisticated equality concepts.

The importance of comprehensive equality in universities should not be underestimated. While the proportion of women among Nobel Prize winners is historically only 6.7%, initiatives such as the Professor Program are crucial for increasing the visibility and integration of women in science. In addition to structural changes, this is also incredibly important for international competitiveness and the quality of research.

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and initiatives to promote diversity in universities, such as the “Diversity at German Universities” campaign, play a central role. These measures are necessary to create a more equitable and diverse higher education landscape.