Facts and figures

The implementation and protection of equal rights for male and female scientists is a matter of course at the CUT and the Cluster of Excellence MERGE. The realisation of equal opportunities is an integral part of the CUT management strategy. The structural conditions and the ideas concerning the organisation and management culture are stipulated in the gender equality programme.

Within a more structured and transparent equal-opportunities policy on the basis of the measures of the equal-opportunities concept, the CUT, in a self-commitment statement within the framework of the research-oriented equal-opportunities standards of the DFG, commits to the following goals between 2008-2013:

1. Increasing the proportion of women undertaking a PhD, in particular in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Faculties by 20%
2. Increasing the proportion of female assistant professors and junior professors, in particular in the Natural Sciences and Engineering Faculties by 10%
3. Increasing the proportion of female professors at the university as a whole by 10%.

In the medium term, it is intended to establish a gender project group composed of female and male scientists that will focus on women and gender studies in their research. Furthermore, Chemnitz University is one of the partners of the “Mentoring Network Saxony” (funded by the European Social Fund – ESF). This project is pursuing the goal of forming a sustainable and expandable network between universities and colleges. As part of this process, a mentoring network is being developed at each academic institution, which can take advantage of the transfer of expertise between the participating universities and colleges of the network Cluster. In addition, a dual-career concept will provide support in handling tough mobility demands and will devise tailor-made solutions for respective career paths or dual-career challenges.

The Cluster of Excellence intends to use the above-mentioned proven gender mainstreaming structures and actions already in use at CUT, which will be coordinated by Prof. Birgit Awiszus and improved in order to attain a higher-than-average percentage of females. At the same time, by virtue of the interdisciplinary Cluster of Excellence, more female students and female PhD students are to be attracted to the so-called MINT subjects (Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Engineering) in order to substantially increase the proportion of females. Special interdisciplinary hands-on training courses on “Lightweight structures and manufacturing technologies” are intended to be offered within the framework of the Cluster of Excellence. The interdisciplinary orientation of the Cluster has already increased the proportion of females in leading positions of IRDs and networking area of a quarter. For the further advancement of female scientists, the equal-opportunities officer will be informed at an early stage regarding vacant positions.

Additional actions are planned, building on the comprehensive family-oriented offers provided by the CUT, which range from a guaranteed child care position in the kindergarten close to the campus, to lectures and special sports activities for children. Family services, child care services during events to enable scientists with children to participate in further training programmes or business trips, the financing of “mobile nursery teachers” in times outside the usual child care hours and during holidays without regular child care will be supported by funding by the Cluster of Excellence.