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Ruhr University Bochum: Awarded as an equal opportunities university!
In 2025, the Ruhr University of Bochum will achieve the title of “Equal Opportunity University” in the 2030 Professor Program to promote women in science.
Ruhr University Bochum: Awarded as an equal opportunities university!
On March 8, 2025, the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) took a significant step towards equality by being accepted into the next round of the 2030 Professor Program. The RUB reports that it has received the title “Equal Opportunity University” from the Joint Science Conference for its special efforts towards equality. This award reflects the university's long-term efforts to increase the number of female professors and promote more female (young) scientists.
Prof. Dr. Isolde Karle, Vice Rector for Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Development, expressed her delight at the award and emphasized that it underlines the collective success and commitment of all equality actors at the RUB. This development is part of the broader goal of sustainably improving equality for women in science.
The 2030 Professor Program
The Female Professor Program was launched in 2008 and has since supported over 850 professorships. The focus is on increasing the proportion of women in top scientific positions and combating the “leaky pipeline”, in which well-educated women are less likely to advance to leadership positions in the science system after completing their doctorate.
Statistics on equality show that the proportion of women among doctoral students is around 46%, only 37% among postdoctoral candidates and only 28% among professors. The new program, which runs for eight years and offers three rounds of funding, is intended to sustainably improve these figures. Universities must submit their equality concepts, which are then assessed externally, in order to be able to take part in the program.
Funding and application process
In the first selection round for the 2030 Professor Program, 92 universities submitted successful applications. These universities have the opportunity to apply for additional funding. A total financial volume of 150 million euros will be made available for the first three phases and 320 million euros for the fourth phase from 2023 to 2030.
Applications for start-up funding for permanent W2 or W3 professorships can be submitted until September 30, 2025. The process is two-stage: First, an equality concept must be submitted by August 31, 2025, followed by a funding application after a positive assessment. This ensures that all participating universities act uniformly in their efforts to promote gender equality.
These initiatives are part of a larger trend in Germany that seeks important changes in the scientific community. Loud academics There are currently around 735,000 full-time employees working in industrial research, with the proportion of women in this sector being only 14.8%. In addition to the academic world, the need to integrate women into leadership positions and keep them there is also of great importance in industry.
Overall, the developments of the 2030 Professor Program and the RUB award show that there is a growing community in Germany that is actively committed to equality and diversity in science. The commitment of universities and the support of the Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are crucial factors for the upcoming structural and cultural change that strives for real equality.