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Equality in focus: Folkwang University starts new female professor program!
The Folkwang University of the Arts receives positive reviews for the 2030 female professor program to promote equality.
Equality in focus: Folkwang University starts new female professor program!
The Folkwang University of the Arts has received a positive assessment as part of the 2030 Professor Program. This was announced today (April 4, 2025). By September 2026, universities can submit applications for up to three start-up funding for the initial appointment of female scientists and artists to permanent W2 or W3 professorships. Central Equal Opportunities Officer Nina Kaiser emphasized the importance of supporting participation and equality at the university.
The program supports an additional position for young female scientists and artists. The award of the program aims to promote gender parity in teaching and enables a more intensive examination of issues of equality. These initiatives are part of a comprehensive strategy that includes specific measures on equality and the interconnection of issues such as abuse of power, diversity and inclusion.
Important step towards equality
The women professorship program, which was launched in 2008, has supported over 900 professorships and aims to increase the proportion of women in top academic positions and to counteract the so-called “leaky pipeline”. The proportion of women in professorships in Germany is currently 29%. Despite good training, many women often lose touch with the academic system after completing their doctorate. The program therefore promotes better integration and visibility of women in the academic world.
The proportion of women by academic career illustrates the problem: While 46% of doctoral students are female, this proportion drops to 37% for habilitation candidates and only 29% for female professors. It is the aim of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) to counteract this decline and promote a balanced gender distribution.
Financial support and future prospects
A total of 320 million euros is planned for the duration of the 2030 professorship program. The first three program phases have already been positively evaluated, which underlines the effectiveness of the initiative. Universities must submit appropriate equality concepts in order to take part in the program. This happens in a two-stage application process: First, the equality concept must be submitted by August 31, 2025, followed by a funding application after a positive assessment.
The program is supported nationwide and has shown a high level of acceptance among universities in North Rhine-Westphalia, where six positive reviews and four “equal opportunities university” ratings were awarded. In total, the first two selection rounds resulted in eight awards in a nationwide comparison. These awards enable other universities to apply for additional funding.
The implementation of the program is the responsibility of the project management agency DLR-PT. There are contacts for all interested universities who can be reached directly via a telephone hotline and email, including Dr. Heike Scheidemann and Dr. Astrid Schüßler.
The BMBF is actively committed to strengthening equality in science and research and has launched various initiatives that promote diversity and equality. In the context of internationalization and competitiveness in scientific research, diversity is not only a social necessity, but also a strategic advantage.