Women in Science

One goal of the women in science program is to make successful women more visible in the academic and business communities.

Women and men should be able to participate equally in learning, teaching and research. Therefore, factual equality between women and men in all areas of university life should be our declared goal.

Women continue to be under-represented in top academic positions like professorships, although the number of female students and qualified graduates has been rising steadily for years. The encouragement of women in academia and business is one of WU’s most important duties, because otherwise the enormous potential of women would be lost (for more information, please see the WU By-Laws, in German). WU has established a Gender and Diversity Management Group. This innovation in research and education policy makes WU an example to other European countries and places it among the ranks of the most prestigious universities worldwide, which are increasingly establishing research facilities on gender and diversity.

WU also has an Equal Opportunities Working Group (information in German). The Working Group’s function is to combat gender discrimination by the university, and to advise and support university management, staff and students on equal opportunity issues. A further important field is equal treatment regardless of ethnic group, religion, ideology, age or sexual orientation.