News and Events regarding Diversity at the University of Bonn
Here you can find the current projects, workshops and events that deal with the different dimensions of diversity in everyday university life.
Diversity Days 2024
To mark German Diversity Day, the Vice Rectorate for Equal Opportunity and Diversity, together with the unit of the same name, is organising the third Diversity Days at the University of Bonn.
Rhineland Network for Equal Opportunities
Promoting equal opportunities and thus creating an open and appreciative working and study environment is the goal of our work. To reinforce this goal, the University of Bonn is a member of the Rhineland Network for Equal Opportunities since September 2023 and joins in following its shared guidelines. The other members are the University of Cologne, the RWTH Aachen University, the Cologne University of Technology, the Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, the German Aerospace Centre and the FH Aachen University of Applied Sciences. Our work is guided by the guidelines and the joint efforts of our network partners.
Funding Initiative: ‘Diversity at German Universities’
The University of Bonn has successfully applied for project funding as part of the "Diversity at German Universities" initiative. The initiative is run by the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Among other things, it aims to support German universities in making diversity more visible, promoting their own diversity strategies and encouraging the participation of all university members in the process. A total of 33 universities receive funding for diversity projects under the initiative.
Guide to Gender Equitable Language
Gender-equitable language is an increasingly important issue in Germany, both in society as a whole as well as at universities in specific. Precise expression is especially important in an academic context, which is why choosing language that is as correct and inclusive as possible is a priority. The Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit is currently working with the AG Diversity to develop a guide for gender-equitable language. This will serve as a working aid for all members of the University of Bonn. Until this guideline is published, we recommend the Faculty of Agriculture's guideline for gender-equitable language, which can be viewed here.
Pathways to Research
Attention students and doctoral students with a refugee or migrant background: the new Pathways to Research funding program has started this year at the University of Bonn. The program includes monthly scholarships, workshop offers and much more.
The individual consultation regarding racism is conducted by Eden Abrehet (she/her), psychological counsellor and trainer for empowerment and anti-discrimination. Eden is an external counsellor and offers to talk about concrete racist incidents or burdens due to racist discrimination within the university context.
She creates a space with you to reflect on your experiences and to support you in developing suitable individual strategies and ways of dealing with certain situations. She also develops future measures for the University of Bonn, based on her work with the students. Appointments can be made by email and will take place online for the time being. All emails are read only by Eden and are subject to confidentiality, just like the counselling sessions. This means that no information will be shared with others without the students' consent. Counseling is provided by the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit and was developed in cooperation with the former BIPoC department.
Women in Science Podcast
Here are a few more acoustic impressions of this year's Diversity Days: In issue 7, the Women in Science Podcast talks to various participants of the Diversity Days about the goals of their respective organizations. The topics "Health and Sustainability" and "Women and family" are discussed partly in English, partly in German. In issue 8, the focus is on “International & Students and university development”
Inclusive University
As an inclusive university, the University of Bonn seeks to enable students with disabilities and chronic illnesses to study without hindrance. The availability of four different lines of funding from the joint NRW state and University of Bonn “Inclusive University” grant program is designed to permit a flexible response tailored both to individual student needs and the different conditions prevailing across the University. The four grant programs are: Project funding, Support personnel, Establishment of workstations in institute libraries and Establishment of quiet and recuperation rooms.
Details about the grant program and the application and selection procedure are provided in Confluence: Inclusive University (german). Initial users of Confluence first have to activate an account here (access via internal network/VPN only).
Free menstrual products
The University of Bonn now offers free menstrual products for students. The project of the Prorectorate for Equal Opportunities and Diversity in cooperation with the AStA is in the pilot phase during the summer semester 2022. The dispensers will be located on seven selected toilets at central locations from May 1st onwards. With this offer, the University of Bonn contributes to breaking down barriers and implementing equal opportunities. Through the project, period poverty is counteracted and the topic of menstruation is further de-tabooed.
Further information can be found here.
Representatives from all status groups at the University of Bonn took part in the "Gender Equality" workshop to discuss various facets, their own perspectives and ideas for potential changes at the University of Bonn in the area of "Gender Equality" using the World Café method in different constellations.
Representatives from all status groups at the University of Bonn took part in the "Family friendliness" workshop to discuss various facets, their own perspectives and ideas for potential changes at the University of Bonn in the area of "Family friendliness" using the World Café method in different constellations.
As a preliminary conclusion, it can be said that the university can already offer some support, but that some of this needs to be better and more widely advertised so that it can be utilised by university members with care responsibilities and offers relief during their studies or at work.
Representatives from all status groups at the University of Bonn used the World Café method at the "Protection from Discrimination" workshop to analyse and jointly reflect on discrimination characteristics and risks at a structural and institutional level.
The workshop on educational equity was attended by representatives of all status groups of the University of Bonn. Using the World Café method, they discussed four questions dealing with educational equity. The focal areas included 1) Arriving and Onboarding, 2) Scholarship and Financing, 3) Study and PhD Doubts and 4) the situation of First Generation Academics. At a fifth table, these four questions were discussed in English to be able to gather the perspectives and ideas of international university members.
Solidarity with Ukraine
On the occasion of the Russian war in the Ukraine, the University and State Library Bonn (ULB) presents topic-related literature from its holdings and refers to selected websites of trustworthy institutions that serve as sources of information or enable private assistance.
Program MitSprache
From 2021, Equal Opportunity and Diversity will provide financial and advisory support for the program MitSprache. The program will be, in the course of this enhancement, extended to all faculties of the university and can be chosen as an export module from SoSe 2021. The University of Bonn is thus promoting educational equity, widening access and inclusion.
MitSprache is a program of the University of Bonn, which is carried out by the Department for Intercultural Communication and Multilingualism in cooperation with the Caritas Association Bonn. The very beginning of the cross-institute initiative which is embedded in the curriculum goes back to Autumn 2015 when the first module Engaged for Refugees was designed.
The concept sees language as the key to the integration of new immigrants, which enables educational opportunities and societal "co-speak" (Mit-Sprache), i.e. participation. The focus of the program is on integration and inclusion of young people of international origin who have recently moved to Germany and are interested in studying or in vocational training.
A further aim of MitSprache is to qualify students as language coaches who support and accompany newcomers on their way to university. In the seminar students acquire knowledge of language didactics, as well as methodological and socio-cultural skills.
Contact
Anna Hollstegge
Poppelsdorfer Allee 24
53115 Bonn
Ruth Ellen Bischoff
Poppelsdorfer Allee 24
53115 Bonn