Gender equality in recruitment and career progression

Recruitment of professors

The University of Bremen formulated four standards for gender-equitable procedures in the recruitment of professors, which are anchored in the appointment regulations, the selection and evaluation regulations for tenure-track positions as well as the appointment guidelines:

• Gender equality as an overriding quality criterion in selection procedures
• Gender parity in the composition of the selection committees
• Extensive women’s representative participation rights
• Definition of ‘Gender and diversity competence as a cross-disciplinary leadership skill’

The university executive board ensures that gender-equitable quality standards are consistently applied in all selection procedures at the university, so that appointment rates of at least 45% are stabilised across all subject groups and the proportion of female applicants increases.

Since 2018, special attention has been paid to the appointment of tenure-track professors. This new staff category was introduced with a recent amendment to the law and further develops the Bremen junior professorship. Each tenure-track professorship is backed by a lifetime appointment. The University of Bremen aims to provide new career opportunities for female academics with excellent potential and the desire for early independence with this new staff category.

Academic career paths

The findings about the lack of predictability of career paths in academia and the discrepancy between the majority of temporary and small number of permanent positions for academics have prompted the University of Bremen to expand its concept of academic career paths. In 2017, it introduced the new personnel categories of (Senior) Lecturer and Researcher with a tenure track (§ 24 BremHG). These positions are characterised by their early academic independence as well as predictable career paths with a permanent academic position as mid-level academic staff.  They are a central component of personnel concepts in the faculties. The university executive board aims for a 50% proportion of women when filling Researcher/Lecturer positions. This objective is strengthened by the corresponding selection and evaluation regulations. Guidelines  convey the overarching strategic objectives such as the recruitment of female and international academics. At the same time, university administration is continuing the quota-based funding lines of the Central Research Funding for doctoral entrants and postdocs. Since 2011, it has funded 62% of women in the context of doctoral entry and 61% of women in relation to a dedicated postdoctoral position.

Personnel development

Gender-equitable personnel development has a long tradition at the University of Bremen; it manifests itself in the "Concept for the Development of Academic Staff at the University of Bremen", which was adopted in 2018 and is currently being revised. It includes goals for gender equality and anti-discrimination. Strategic advice on overarching issues is provided by the Working Group on Human Resources Development.