With the degree in the Women Professors Program III, the HSZG can look back on numerous successful projects in the areas of equal opportunity, family-friendly policies, and the promotion of academic career paths.
With a closing ceremony on June 2, 2026, at Celsiuz in the Mandauhöfe in Zittau, the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences looked back on five years of the Women Professors Program III. Since 2021, numerous additional measures to promote gender equality have been implemented, aimed at sustainably strengthening equal opportunity, family-friendliness, a gender-sensitive university culture, and the advancement of academic career paths.
The president of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (HSZG), Prof. Dr.-Ing. Alexander Kratzsch, emphasized at the event:
The “Professorinnenprogramm III” initiative, funded by the federal and state governments, has had a far greater impact at our university than just individual projects. It has provided important impetus for a university culture that is equitable, family-friendly, and diverse.
”He extends special thanks to everyone involved who has driven these developments forward with great dedication. “Equal opportunity, equality, and inclusion remain central shared goals of our university. We know there is still much to be done. That is why we want to ensure that successful approaches and structures are maintained even after the project ends and continue to develop them by embedding them sustainably, ” adds the president.
As part of the Women Professors Program III, several sets of measures were implemented at HSZG.
A key focus was on developing non-discriminatory hiring and appointment procedures. To this end, training and informational materials were developed on unconscious bias, gender and diversity competence, and the legal framework of the General Equal Treatment Act. One of the project’s outcomes is a guide for gender-equitable hiring and appointment procedures.
Another priority was the promotion of gender research. Researchers examined topics such as gender equality in the context of structural change, gender aspects in STEM disciplines, and the integration of gender perspectives into research projects.
To support female researchers, various measures for recruitment and professional development were implemented. These included participation in the nationwide campaign “The HAW Professorship—A Career with Impact” and the development of a guide for personnel selection interviews. In addition, an analysis of the application process was conducted. Based on this analysis, the “Hiring Employees” process was revised and simultaneously prepared for future digital implementation as part of the rollout of an applicant tracking system. Furthermore, as part of the project, working documents were created to facilitate the onboarding of new employees.
Progress in the area of family-friendliness was particularly noticeable. The university successfully completed the “family-friendly university” audit process conducted by berufundfamilie Service GmbH and received the corresponding certificate in June 2024. Since the start of the process, numerous measures have been implemented, including strengthening remote work options, expanding online and hybrid formats, enhancing family-friendly study conditions, and developing a university health management system.
A comprehensive communication strategy has been used to increase the visibility of women in academia, research, teaching, and university management. This included campaigns to attract female students to STEM fields, the targeted inclusion of female testimonials in University marketing and academic counseling, as well as various publications and media formats. Examples include the special issue of the university magazine EINBLICK titled “Dream Job: Professor?”, the hi@hszg podcast series, campaigns for women in STEM, and the new recruitment brochure “Teach. Research. Live. For Female Scholars with a Vision.”
Although funding under the Women Professors Program III will end on June 30, 2026, when the project period concludes, many of the initiatives launched are intended to continue. During the closing event, participants therefore discussed which measures should best be permanently embedded at the university or further developed.
Over the past five years, the Women Professors Program III has provided numerous impetus for our university. The close collaboration among many dedicated colleagues from academia, administration, and university leadership has been particularly influential. Together, we were able to implement projects and lay important groundwork to sustainably strengthen equal opportunity, family-friendliness, and the promotion of academic career paths. I am pleased that many of these initiatives will continue even beyond the project’s duration.
”The past five years have shown that equality, equal opportunity, and inclusion are not isolated issues, but rather cross-cutting themes that sustainably strengthen the university’s long-term viability.
The Women Professors Program has been supported by the federal and state governments since 2007 and aims to promote gender equality in the academic system in a sustainable manner.
Text: Cornelia Rothe
