Diversity@HFU

The Equal Opportunities Officers at the university are responsible for equal opportunity for academic staff and students. HFU uses various programmes to promote an increase in the proportion of women, particularly in professorships and junior research programmes. Active recruiting, mentoring and coaching programmes as well as awareness-raising measures for appointment committees are intended to bring the university closer to the goal of gender parity.

The Gender Equality Respresentative is the contact person for the academic support area of the university and advises and supports the university management in implementing the Equal Opportunities Act. She ensures equal career opportunities for women.

The university stands for respectful and appreciative cooperation. Every complaint of discrimination is supported by a network of stakeholders. Our awareness team with students and mental first aiders offers a very low-threshold opportunity to find a trustworthy contact. In addition, our trained contact persons are happy to advise you on how to proceed in the event of discrimination, harassment or bullying.

Furtwangen University is committed to promoting women in academia and research as part of the “Traumberuf Professorin Plus” (Dream Job: Professor Plus) network. The aim is to support female students, graduates, and early-career academics on their path to an academic career, opening up prospects for them to become professors.

The following measures are in place to achieve this:

• Mentoring and coaching to highlight individual strengths and support personal career development
• Qualification opportunities such as workshops and training courses that teach important skills for research, teaching, and leadership
• Networks and exchange formats that give women the opportunity to establish contacts within and outside the university and to strengthen each other
• Financial support, for example through advice on scholarships or funding for research projects that facilitate entry into an academic career

Our university aims to create working and study conditions for students and employees that enable a successful work-life balance. For example, parent-child workrooms and play kits are available for various age groups.

Employees and students with caring responsibilities are advised by care guides on request.

We are happy to support students with children in finding childcare.

Furtwangen University sees itself as a responsible social institution in a liberal democracy. Inhuman attitudes, ideas based on exclusion and hostile images go hand in hand with attacks on academic freedom and endanger social progress.

Furtwangen University would like to counter a climate of fear, with ideas for the exchange of perspectives, for political education and for the participation of all its members.

Furtwangen University expressly endorses the statement of the Executive Board of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) “Academia needs liberal democracy and the rule of law”.