Equal Opportunities Commissioner

Equality is an ongoing commitment that must be continually adapted to current requirements. It is a task for the entire university. Much has been achieved in recent years, with equality now firmly established within the university. The proportion of female professors is rising, and Heidelberg's equality measures and services are not only effective internally but also recognised externally. And yet there is still much to be done. Women with doctorates continue to encounter a glass ceiling, even at our university. Their scientific expertise is not sufficiently utilised for science and research, and skills are lost. Securing these skills is not only a question of equal opportunities, but also of the university's ability to compete nationally and internationally. This also applies to the potential of other groups: people who come to us as migrants or take on care responsibilities in their families, students and researchers with physical disabilities, and older colleagues. Here, too, equality measures must be used to create scope for action or shape transitions.

The aim is to reflect on needs and requirements in order to provide equal opportunities and strengthen Heidelberg University as an attractive employer and innovative research location. This requires further structural changes, gender-sensitive and opportunity-equitable action, and individual support – and this concerns each and every one of us.