“The Diversity Strategy is a landmark achievement for the University of Bonn,” explains Professor Irmgard Förster, Vice Rector for Equal Opportunity and Diversity. It will lay the foundations for embracing diversity as an issue that affects every single part of the University. “As well as helping individual members of the University to grow and develop, the measures that it contains will also boost the attractiveness and innovative strength of our institution as a whole, because top-quality academic performance and a discrimination-sensitive environment are inextricably linked,” Förster says. Thus the Diversity Strategy mirrors the University of Bonn’s Excellence Strategy closely.
It has five key focus areas: 1. Anti-Discrimination, 2. Educational Equity, 3. Family Friendliness and Compatibility, 4. Gender Equality, and 5. Inclusion and Participation
The five key focus areas
Anti-discrimination work forms a vital element of the Diversity Strategy, because it lays the foundations for a fair and inclusive environment. Besides characteristics such as racial stereotyping, ethnic background, gender, religion or beliefs, disability, age, sexual orientation and social background, this also relates to the intersectional overlaps between these characteristics, which can give rise to additional dimensions of discrimination. Comprehensive anti-discrimination work ensures that all members of the University are given the same opportunities regardless of their individual characteristics. At the heart of this work are the numerous points of contact and advisory services at the University of Bonn that are taking targeted action against discrimination, such as the central Gender Equality Office, the Liaison Lecturers against Antisemitism and the Anti-Racism Counseling team.
Examples of objectives for the “Anti-Discrimination” key focus area:
- Promote a discrimination-sensitive University culture, e.g. with an empowerment program for BIPoC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) students
- Strengthen and further develop counseling structures and practice with regard to anti-discrimination
Socio-cultural background and economic criteria still have a major impact on an individual’s educational opportunities. Being committed to improving educational equity is thus an important duty for the University of Bonn throughout the entire student life cycle. The focus here is on measures to improve access to higher education and on support services when starting a degree program or doctorate, while it is under way and on the path to career entry.
Examples of objectives for the “Educational Equity” key focus area:
- Improve transparency and coordination for scholarships and funding studies
- Make more support available for first-generation academics
In passing the “Family-Friendly University Audit,” the University of Bonn was certified as a family-friendly employer for the long term. The aim is to improve the compatibility of studying or work on the one hand and caring or family responsibilities on the other by providing targeted support to University members with family obligations. The relevant measures are developed, coordinated and implemented by the Office of Family Services to enable all University members to pursue their academic and career goals successfully while also fulfilling their family duties. This will also strengthen the University as a whole as a teaching and research institution.
Examples of objectives for the “Family Friendliness and Compatibility” key focus area:
- Recognize researchers’ care responsibilities during their qualification phase
- Embed a family-focused leadership culture
The University of Bonn is committed to facilitating equitable participation by people of all genders and gender identities. In particular, this includes women’s equality—with parity the overall objective—and giving greater prominence to trans*, inter* and non-binary people. In order to get gradually closer to its goal of gender parity, the University set itself the target of increasing its percentage of female professors from its current level of 19 to 30 per cent by 2026 when it came to formulate its Excellence Strategy in 2018—a target that it met as early as the end of 2024. Numerous measures made this possible, including the STEP program, which supports female researchers throughout their career at the University of Bonn and is a key pillar of the Excellence Strategy, and the MeTra mentoring and training program for female researchers at an early stage of their career. The LGBTQIA+ contact point is being expanded further to better meet the needs of queer individuals.
Examples of objectives for the “Gender Equality” key focus area:
- Increase the proportion of female professors to 33 per cent by 2030
- Promote a safe campus environment by raising awareness of gender diversity and discrimination prevention
The University of Bonn is working tirelessly to improve the environment that it provides for members with a disability or chronic condition in order to enable everyone to participate in university life with self-determination and equality of opportunity. To this end, it is breaking down physical, digital, linguistic, organizational and attitudinal barriers. More awareness-raising and education work on the subject of inclusion is to be done to create an environment based on trust. The University is also committed to reflecting on ableist structures and speech and behavior patterns and making the necessary changes.
Examples of objectives for the “Inclusion” key focus area:
- Improve the digital accessibility of IT applications and teaching materials
- Expand inclusion-related support services, teaching and research
The specific objectives in these key focus areas are complemented by overarching objectives in six strategic fields of action: 1. Structure and Infrastructure, 2. Teaching and Learning, 3. Research and Transfer, 4. Leadership and Career Development, 5. Counseling and Support Services, and 6. Communication and Participation. For example, the University of Bonn is promoting a diversity-aware teaching culture, diverse perspectives in research and accessible communication. One key principle underlying the Diversity Strategy is intersectionality, i.e. the realization that different forms of discrimination are often interlinked and can result in discrimination being experienced in various ways.
The Diversity Strategy was prepared in a participatory process involving members from across the whole University. Representatives from all status groups—students, teachers and researchers as well as administrative and technical staff—came together in a series of seven workshops, while additional consultations were also held, including with faculties, divisions, the staff councils and the Diversity working group. Over 250 people in all were involved in the process. “Developing the Diversity Strategy was a collective effort by the whole University,” explains Annabelle Krause-Pilatus, who has led the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit since September. “We’re now working gradually toward the objectives that we set ourselves in it.”