“Securing funding with this project is a fantastic success,” says Prof. Dr. Irmgard Förster, Vice Rector for Equal Opportunity and Diversity. “With the money, we’ll be able to run several public relations and participation projects geared toward raising awareness right across the University of just how important the various dimensions of diversity are.” As well as making the issue more visible, she explains, another aim is promoting dialogue. “I’m very confident that, by incorporating different perspectives, we’ll also be able to come up with new solutions to the challenges we face and harness the potential that diversity offers.”
Specifically, the funds are to be used to launch a campaign to underline the University’s attitude to diversity and shine a spotlight on relevant institutions, people and services. Members of the University are also to be given the chance to talk about their own careers to date and ideas for strengthening diversity in video clips and podcasts and thus serve as a kind of role model for others. A lecture series on diversity in a university context and a suite of workshops on the key issues of gender equality, educational justice, family-friendliness, anti-discrimination and inclusion will provide additional opportunities for participation. A University-wide diversity survey and a study recording key indicators for strategic project planning are also to be financed through the funding.
“The HRK’s positive decision has come just at the right time,” explains Anna Hollstegge, Head of the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit. “We want to get our project ‘Vielfalt fördern – Vielfalt vernetzen’ (‘Promoting Diversity—Connecting Diversity’) under way this coming winter semester and get the participatory elements in place too as soon as possible. As well as reaching as many members of our University as we can, we also hope to make it clearer to the outside world what opportunities the world of diversity offers.”
Further information
Equal Opportunity and Diversity Unit
Anna Hollstegge—Head
Dania Hues—Project Manager
chancengerechtigkeit@uni-bonn.de