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2nd quarter

Reporting period April 1 - June 30, 2025

Gender equality work

• The new Gender Equality Plan of Clausthal University of Technology for the years 2025 to 2027 has been approved and published. On February 11, 2025, the Gender Equality Commission issued a recommendation for adoption. In accordance with § 41 para. 2 of the Lower Saxony Higher Education Act (NHG), the gender equality plan was adopted by the Senate in agreement with the Executive Board. The Executive Board addressed the document on March 25, 2025. This was followed by consultations in the faculty councils on April 22, 2025. The final resolution by the Senate was passed unanimously on April 29, 2025.

The gender equality plan is a central instrument of university development and personnel policy. It strengthens equal opportunities and diversity at TU Clausthal and simultaneously meets the EU requirements for a Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which are among the prerequisites for funding through the EU Horizon Europe program. The plan was developed based on the Lower Saxony Gender Equality Act (NGG) and the EU guidelines for Gender Equality Plans.

• Our mentoring program WiMINToring for early-career female scientists has now reached its halfway point—a good opportunity for a brief review of the past months. In May 2025, psychological backgrounds of procrastination were in focus on two Friday evenings. In the workshop “Understanding Procrastination and Turning it into Productivity,” the mentees engaged intensively with the mechanisms of procrastination. Besides expert input, the workshop offered plenty of space for personal reflection, group dynamic exchange, and practical self-management strategies.

On June 5, the mentors met for a collegial exchange. The evening was characterized by openness, mutual inspiration, and valuable impulses for further mentoring of the mentees. Immediately following, on June 6, a midterm evaluation of the program took place. In an open, appreciative online format, the mentees reflected on their experiences so far, provided feedback on the program’s progress, and collectively gathered ideas for the second half of the program.

Another important program item was the group coaching on career planning on July 11, 2025. Within a protected setting, participants were able to bring up individual questions, reflect together, and develop concrete next steps for their further professional paths.

We look forward with excitement and anticipation to the second half of the program.

• On June 27 and 28, the fourth annual meeting of the women’s network “Women & Science at TU Clausthal” took place, attended by around 50 women from various disciplines and career stages. The network impressively demonstrates the strong need for exchange, visibility, and mutual support at our university. The focus was on an inspiring keynote and a full-day workshop on modern, value-oriented leadership with Elisabeth Tophinke, who provided important impulses for personal and professional development. On Saturday, a further full-day workshop with Elisabeth Tophinke deepened the topic: participants had space to further develop their personal visions, values, and competencies and to intensely engage with a modern, value-oriented leadership culture. The annual meeting highlights the importance of the women’s network as a vibrant platform for networking, empowerment, and joint development at TU Clausthal.

• On April 3 and 4, 2025, the FEMWORX career congress for women in STEM took place as part of the Hannover Messe. The congress offered various impulses through specialist presentations, workshops, and discussion rounds to promote networking, knowledge exchange, and targeted support for the professional development and career opportunities of women in technical and leadership positions. The Gender Equality Office at TU Clausthal again provided 25 free tickets for female students and doctoral candidates this year. Additionally, several mentees from the WiMINToring mentoring program for early-career female scientists participated in the congress and used the opportunity to network with experts from academia, industry, and politics, as well as gain new perspectives for their own career planning. The consistently positive feedback from participants confirms the high value of such events for individual development and the promotion of equal opportunities in STEM.

• Also this year, the Gender Equality Office was represented again at the campus run on June 17 as part of the festival week with a colorfully designed children’s area. With offerings such as a bouncy castle, movement games, face painting, and the traditional children’s run, a cheerful, family-friendly supporting program was provided, which was very well received. The high participation once again demonstrated how important such offerings are for an open, vibrant, and family-friendly campus.

As part of the festival week, the Gender Equality Office also took part in the Future Discoverers Day on June 19 and coordinated activities for various school grades. Many thanks to all participants who contributed with their committed involvement to making this special day for students at TU Clausthal a memorable experience.

• On Thursday, April 3, 2025, TU Clausthal actively participated again in the nationwide Girls' Day event. The aim of the event is to inspire female students from fifth grade onwards to consider career perspectives beyond traditional gender stereotypes. Through practical insights into various topics, TU Clausthal was able to present itself as an attractive place to study, spark early interest, and provide impulses for later study or career choices. We warmly thank all those involved who enabled a versatile and appealing program with great commitment. Anyone who has ideas for future offerings for various age groups or would like to contribute with a presentation is warmly invited to contact the Gender Equality Office. Such offerings make a crucial contribution to study orientation and help attract future students to TU Clausthal while simultaneously strengthening the university’s visibility and the promotion of female talent in STEM fields.

• The CEWS university ranking based on gender equality aspects 2025 was published on June 25, 2025, offering a nationwide comparison of gender equality at universities in Germany. It is based on official data from 2023. Natalia has so far only briefly glanced at the numbers, but Clausthal University of Technology seems to be either in the top group or at least in the solid middle fiel a pleasing signal, especially compared to other technical universities where gender equality often poses particular challenges. In detail, TU Clausthal shows progress especially in the area of female junior researchers as well as the proportion of female doctoral candidates and academic staff. Regarding the proportion of female professors, Clausthal remains below the national average a topic affecting many other technical universities. For comparison: RWTH Aachen and TU Munich are at a similar or slightly higher level for individual indicators, while TU Dresden and the University of Stuttgart rank higher in the current ranking. Nevertheless, it remains open how meaningful such rankings are for actual gender equality work on site. Structural measures, a lived culture of diversity, and individual support formats can often only be represented to a limited extent by numbers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diversity management

• As every year, TU Clausthal took May as Diversity Month to highlight and actively promote the diversity of its university community. Under the motto “May is the Month of Diversity,” various measures were used to emphasize the importance of an open, appreciative, and discrimination-free university culture. Diversity was emphasized as a strength, and both internal and external communication formats advocated for respect, visibility, and participation. The goal was to create an environment where all members of the university feel welcome, safe, and recognized.

• On May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), rainbow flags were raised in front of the university’s central buildings as a visible sign of solidarity and diversity, as in previous years. A concert for IDAHOBIT did not take place this year.

• On May 27, 2025, TU Clausthal participated in the German Diversity Day and sent a visible message for diversity, belonging, and inclusion. Under the motto “TU Clausthal Shows Its Colors for Diversity,” a striking image was published on the university’s social media channels and website: it shows people from different regions of the world standing before the four symbolic seasonal trees. These trees symbolize not only the natural cycle of life but also sustainability, development, and chang values firmly embedded in the profile of our university. The image also expresses the lived community spirit and cultural diversity at TU Clausthal. These measures underscored TU Clausthal’s commitment to an open, respectful, and appreciative university culture.

• On June 19, 2025, as part of the 8th International Staff Exchange Week, a short workshop on "Diversity, Inclusion & Access - Facing and Overcoming Critical Incidents" took place. This workshop, which has since become an established part of the International Staff Exchange Week program, was designed and conducted by Angela Binder. It offered attendees from various countries a valuable opportunity to discuss diversity and equality and to highlight the corresponding activities at our university.

Family service

• The Families Service of TU Clausthal is organizing a parent-child meeting again this year, providing parents and expectant parents a space for exchange, networking, mutual support, and access to important information. The last meeting took place on Friday, June 6, 2025, in the rooms of the day care center “Uni-Mäuse.” Besides informal exchange, this time the focus was on presenting the Families Service of TU Clausthal and its offerings. Furthermore, we want to jointly discuss current topics related to studying or working with children and collect ideas for the future design of the meetings.

• In the first week of the Easter holidays, from April 7 to 11, 2025, the popular Children’s Easter University was held again at TU Claustha with a varied and child-appropriate program. The participants started with an exciting rally on the occasion of the “250 Years TU Clausthal” anniversary, where they could playfully explore the university and its history. The program continued with the "Olympic Games" in the sports hall, focusing on team spirit, movement, and fun. Another program day was dedicated to the topic of “Early Bloomers,” closely examining nature. The visit to the university archive, including insights into bookbinding and the archive magazines, was especially exciting, as was a creative workshop about language, singing, and calligraphy. The Children’s Easter University offered many opportunities for discovery, experimentation, and participatio an excellent holiday start for everyone involved.

• The growing demand for flexible childcare services at university events has led to the permanent inclusion of this offer in the Families Service’s budget. This was an important step towards better compatibility of family and university life. On May 10, 2025, childcare was offered for the first time during the “Silver Diploma” award ceremony. The service was also successfully used at the celebration for TU Clausthal’s 250th anniversary on June 21, 2025. Thanks to the professional care, parents were able to actively participate in the celebrations while their children were well looked after.

• The award for outstanding student or scientific achievements during a family phase in the period from July 2024 to June 2025 has already been announced by the Families Service of TU Clausthal. Persons to be honored can be nominated by the heads of institutes, research centers, or organizational units until August 31, 2025.