Diversity Strategy 2025-2030
The University of Bonn's Diversity Strategy is closely linked to its Excellence Strategy. It was developed in cooperation with members of all status groups at the university and serves as a guide for future measures in the area of EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion). Here we briefly present its most important points.
Fields of Action and Intersectionality
In these six strategic fields of action, the measures of our five key focus areas will be applied overarchingly and intersectionally.
Structure and Infrastructure
A diversity-conscious design of the university's structures and infrastructure includes, among other things, structural, digital and social aspects that are continuously adapted to changing requirements.
Studies and Teaching
The prerequisites for as
successful a study journey as possible
are the overcoming of structural barriers and a diversity-sensitive teaching culture.
Research and Transfer
Diversity should be taken into account when developing
research projects: the resulting diversity of perspectives fosters creativity, innovation and scientific excellence.
Leadership and Career
Development
Communication, empathy and a clear stance on anti-discrimination are important core competencies for managing groups with a high degree of diversity. An awareness of power relations should take hierarchical relationships of dependency into account.
Counseling and Support Services
Counseling and support services are fundamental to promoting EDI. Personalized support and advice can mitigate and, in some cases, compensate for structural disadvantages.
Communication and Participation
Transparent, diversity-sensitive and target group-oriented communication strengthens mutual trust. To enable participation, all status groups should be actively involved in processes wherever possible.
Five Key Focus Areas
Anti-Discrimination
Anti-discrimination work is a key element of the Diversity Strategy because it forms the basis for a fair and inclusive environment. This concerns characteristics such as racial stereotyping, ethnic background, gender, religion or beliefs, disability, age, sexual orientation and social background, as well as their intersectional overlaps.
Exemplary successes
- Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Anti-racism student counseling
- Awareness concept for events
Aims
- Promotion of anti-discrimination and victim protection measures
- Further development and strengthening of counseling structures and practices with regard to anti-discrimination
- Promotion of a discrimination-sensitive university culture
- Improvement of career opportunities through diversity-sensitive structures
Educational Equity
To promote educational equity, the focus is on measures to improve access to higher education as well as on support services for students during the course of their studies or doctoral programs.
Exemplary successes
- Pathways to Research scholarship program
- RessourcenStark durchs Studium (Push through Your Studies) event series
- Youth University, featuring programs such as Children’s University and Fördern, Fordern, Forschen (FFF)
Aims
- Transparency and coordination regarding scholarships and study financing
- Expansion of support for first generation academics
- Focus on the integration of international students and doctoral candidates
- Continuation of support measures for studies
Family Friendliness and
Compatibility
By providing targeted support to university members with family responsibilities, our aim is to continuously improve the compatibility of studying or working with care work/family life. The Office of Family Services is responsible for the development, coordination and implementation of these measures.
Exemplary successes
- Permanent certification as a Family-Friendly University
- Financial support for students with children when writing final theses
- Parent-child rooms
Aims
- Improving support for students with care responsibilities
- Promotion of the compatibility of career, academic work, and family
- Recognition of care responsibilities during the qualification phase
- Establishment of a family-oriented leadership culture
- Targeted support for international students and researchers with families
Gender Equality
To realize the goal of equitable participation of all genders and gender identities, we promote the equality of women, with the overall aim of gender parity as well as giving greater consideration to trans*, inter* and non-binary people in research and administration.
Exemplary successes
- Increase of the proportion of women professors and achieving the 30 percent goal
- Provision of free period products for students
- Gender Studies Certificate
Aims
- Increasing the share of women professors to 33%
- Promotion of gender-equitable careers
- Promoting a safer campus environment by raising awareness of gender diversity and preventing discrimination
- Promotion of gender research and genderinclusive scientific practice
Inclusion and Participation
By removing physical, digital, linguistic, organizational and attitudinal barriers, we aim to continuously improve the framework conditions for students, researchers, teachers and employees with a disability or chronic condition.
Exemplary successes
- Inclusion Guides project
- Guidelines for accessible social media
- DiCe project Quick Wins for Digital Accessibility
Aims
- Improvement of physical accessibility and provision of information on accessibility
- Improvement of the digital accessibility of IT applications and teaching materials
- Expansion of support services, teaching and research
- Subject-specific evaluation and optimization of the allocation of disadvantage compensation
- Internal and external accessible communication
Excellence through diversity
The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Mission Statement adopted in 2023 emphasizes that top-quality academic performance and a discrimination-sensitive environment are inextricably linked. It defines anti-discrimination, educational equity, family friendliness, gender equality, inclusion and participation as key focus areas for UoB’s continued organizational development and for phrasing its Diversity Strategy. The Diversity Strategy 2025-2030 is closely linked to UoB’s Excellence Strategy, which understands “excellence” to mean not only top-quality academic performance but also establishing a culture in which EDI is lived out in practice.
We invest in people
By combining the objective “We invest in people” with the Diversity Strategy, we are laying forward-looking, innovation-oriented foundations for top-level research and making UoB a more inclusive and attractive place to be.
We foster networks
In line with the guiding principle BRIDGES, we are building networks for participation, individual diversity, recognition and
appreciation on the basis of the Diversity Strategy.
We create impact
Diversity enriches science and helps to find possible solutions to complex societal challenges. The Diversity Strategy is intended to help strengthen excellence in research by emphasizing EDI.
Contact
Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit
The Equal Opportunity and Diversity unit assists and advises the Rectorate on the (further) development of concepts and strategies for promoting equal opportunity and diversity.
Further reading
Diversity
Here we present the mission statement of the UoB and our work as the Diversity Unit.
Anti-Discrimination and Inclusion
Information and offers on anti-discrimination, inclusion and participation can be found here.
Support programs
Here you will find information about the Pathways to Research and STEP support programs.