Bauhaus-Universität Weimar Awarded »Gleichstellungsstarke Hochschule« Title in the »Professorinnenprogramm 2030«
The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has successfully made it through the first round in the federal and state »Professorinnenprogramm 2030« call for applications. This makes it one of 92 universities in Germany that impressed the jury and received an award for their gender equality policies, structures and measures. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar was one of just 22 universities who were additionally awarded the title of »Gleichstellungsstarke Hochschule« (universities with strong gender equality). This is the fourth time that the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar has been successful in the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s programme for strengthening gender equality at universities.
On Thursday, 22 February, an independent review panel made their selection from the 108 equality concepts submitted in the first call for applications. The selected universities must now submit their applications for three initial grants for the appointment of women to W2 or W3 professorships by 30 September 2025.
It is especially noteworthy that the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar was recognised with the title »Gleichstellungsstarke Hochschule« (universities with strong gender equality). This means that the university now has the opportunity to fund an additional woman junior researcher position with the intention of it leading to a permanent professorship — an »Professorinnenprogramm 2030« development. The award is a recognition of the university’s equal opportunity concept within the specific context of the university in relation to its nature and size.
President Prof. Peter Benz emphasises the success: »I am thrilled that we have once again —for the fourth time in a row — achieved success in the state and federal »Professorinnenprogramm«, and this time even with distinction. This shows that our measures promoting equal opportunities for women at the university and paving career paths for women researchers in the early phases of their careers are being recognised and producing tangible results with the extra funding for a woman research assistant. It’s clear that the professional and infrastructural environment plays a particularly important role in balancing one’s career with one’s family and private life. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar clearly provides the ideal environment for this and we can make it even more visible and strengthen it through the ›Professorinprogramm‹.«
The »Professorinnenprogramm 2030« was approved by the »Gemeinsame Wissenschaftskonferenz« (GWK) in November 2022. The »Professorinnenprogramm« was launched in 2008. The funding programme builds upon the successes of the previous three programme phases and has become more robust in terms of its content. It aims to dynamically increase the proportion of women professors towards parity, to support women scientists (and junior scientists) and artists on their way to a tenured professorship, to encourage these women to stay in the science community, and to anchor gender equality even more firmly university structures. This will sustainably promote the necessary structural and cultural shift towards gender equality at universities.