Encouraging more women to pursue academic careers: This is the goal of the Joint Science Conference's Women Professors Program to support universities and higher education institutions. Institutions can apply for funding for gender equality projects via the program. The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU) was the only University in Bavaria to impress with its gender equality policy goals, structures and measures in the second selection round of the Women Professors Program 2030.
The Joint Science Conference selected 56 colleges and universities nationwide for the program in this round. Among them: the KU, whose submitted equality concept and the measures listed therein received a positive evaluation. This means that the University now has the opportunity to apply for funding to implement these measures. A lot has happened since the first equality concept was presented by the KU in 2015. Justice and equality-related issues are now firmly anchored in the KU's Mission Statement. The proportion of women professors has doubled in the last ten years – from 19 percent in 2015 to 38 percent today. "This makes us the leader in Bavaria and well above the national average of 28 percent and the Bavarian average of 24.6 percent", says Prof. Dr. Kathrin Schlemmer, Women and Equal Opportunity Officer at the KU. The KU's goal is to increase the proportion of female professors to 44 percent by 2030.
The KU had already successfully participated in one of the previous calls for applications for the Women Professors Program since 2018. In this way, it received a total of 724,000 euros in funding. This made it possible, for example, to implement the scholarship program for young female scientists. This program promotes equal opportunities for women in research and teaching by awarding graduation scholarships to excellent young female academics who are currently completing their doctorate or habilitation at the KU. One researcher who is currently receiving a habilitation scholarship is Dr. Tanja Evers. She previously worked at the Journalism Studies program and the Center for Flight and Migration and is currently researching her habilitation project on media ethical challenges in a migration society. Evers is very grateful for the support provided by the scholarship: "It gives me the opportunity to work on completing my habilitation without financial pressure. At the same time, I can already take care of the next steps on the way to a professorship during this phase. This form of support is great."
It gives me the opportunity to work on completing my habilitation without financial pressure. At the same time, I can already take care of the next steps on the way to a professorship during this phase. This form of support is great.
It gives me the opportunity to work on completing my habilitation without financial pressure. At the same time, I can already take care of the next steps on the way to a professorship during this phase. This form of support is great.
- Dr. Tanja Evers(habilitation scholarship holder, Journalism Studies and Center for Flight and Migration)
In the mentoring program, young female academics are provided with experienced confidants who help them expand their network and advise them on academic careers beyond specialist aspects. For Martha Egan, who is currently working on her doctoral thesis in the Department of European Studies, the support from the mentoring program led to a new academic contact with Dr. Eva Ries, Academic Councillor at the University of Augsburg. "I am very grateful for the advice and support that my mentor Dr. Ries has given me as a female role model in our valuable conversations for my current projects and future career steps", Egan explains how the solidary support helps her.
Furthermore, the KU established its coaching program and the onboarding program for newly appointed female professors with the funds. And the University invested in its family-friendliness. The so-called “Kids Boxes”, movable children's playrooms, were set up on the Eichstätt and Ingolstadt campuses. The KU introduced a vacation program for the school vacations during the semester, and there is now a play corner in the Eichstätt canteen. The measures of the family-friendly university are open to all members of the KU regardless of their gender.
I am very grateful for the advice and support that my mentor Dr. Ries has given me as a female role model in our valuable conversations for my current projects and future career steps.
I am very grateful for the advice and support that my mentor Dr. Ries has given me as a female role model in our valuable conversations for my current projects and future career steps.
- Martha Egan(participant in the mentoring program, currently working on her doctoral thesis in European Studies)
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Schlemmer, KU Women and Equal Opportunity Officer
Prof. Schlemmer, the Women and Equal Opportunity Officer, was in charge of the application for the Women Professors Program. It was important for her to prepare the new application for funding in a sensible way. Regular evaluations and surveys were used to assess the existing measures. The KU is pursuing two goals with its application for the follow-up format, the Women Professors Program 2030: "On the one hand, we want to further develop the equality goals and activities and, on the other hand, continue the successful measures, for which further financial support is of crucial importance", Schlemmer explains the approach. The Gender Equality Concept was drawn up in close cooperation between the Women and Equal Opportunity Officer and the Center for Marriage and Family in Society, the Academic Careers Department at the Research Service Center and the Staff Development and Continuing Education Department. The current concept, which forms the basis for the application for the Women Professors Program, was adopted by the Presidium and the KU Senate in summer 2024 – it is already being implemented. "We are very happy about the positive evaluation of our Equal Opportunity Concept and also about the broad acceptance that the topic now enjoys at the KU. Both are proof that our work is successful", says Schlemmer.
This success is supported by a whole network of committed people in all areas of the KU and also by the comprehensive support of the University Management. "The topic of equality is an important profile element for us", explains University President Prof. Dr. Gabriele Gien. "For us, increasing the proportion of women in teaching in particular is not a smaller priority, but a crucial focus of every new professorship appointment. We know that we can only succeed in winning more new women professors if the framework is right and we continuously improve the conditions for women and families in all areas.” Now that accreditation has been granted, the next step is to plan the three possible funding applications. These are linked to the KU's success in making further initial appointments of female professors.
The Joint Science Conference adopted the Women Professors Program 2030 in November 2022. It builds on the three previous successful program phases since 2008 and has been strengthened in terms of content. The aim of the funding program is to dynamically increase the number of women professors towards parity, to promote young female academics on the path to a lifetime professorship and to retain them in academia, as well as to structurally anchor gender equality at universities. This will sustainably strengthen the necessary cultural change towards more gender equality at universities. The federal and state governments are providing a total of 320 million euros for the Women Professors Program 2030 over a period of eight years for the first time. To date, a total of 907 professorships have been funded through the Women Professors Program.
Sustainability at KU
The KU has set itself the goal of integrating, living and continuously developing sustainability as an integral part of all areas of university life, teaching and research. In this context, the KU has a vision for a sustainable future: Ecological and social responsibility should go hand in hand for developing sustainable solutions that have a local and global impact. As a committed university, the KU therefore works closely with a wide range of partners in all areas of society and the economy. In its role as a pioneer, it also wants to be a role model and initiator for the successful implementation of the sustainability goals.
![[Translate to English:] Symbol Gleichberechtigung](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/2/csm_COLOURBOX28044653_49adb32ace.webp)
