Equal opportunities at the University of Münster

As a family-friendly university, the University of Münster considers gender equality to be a central strategic concern. The long-term goal of the University is to ensure equal opportunities for women and men in all status groups, to reduce structural disadvantages, and to use existing skills and talents equally.

The University’s guidelines are closely aligned with the equal opportunity standards of the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG), which demands a consistent, transparent, competent, competitive and future-oriented equal opportunity policy in order to take account of quality assurance in research. The University’s equal opportunity measures have met the highest level of standards set by the DFG for several years now, and focus on two main objectives: reconciling work and family life, and promoting women’s academic careers.

The University of Münster offers female postdocs the opportunity on their way to a professorship to apply for the University’s mentoring programme “First Class!”, which is flanked by the further qualification programme for female scholars who are preparing for tasks in university management, “Women Manage University”.

Members of the Cluster of Excellence have access to a wide range of services offered by the University of Münster’s Family Service Office, which not only offers childcare advice (and sometimes financial support), but also provides regular care services and care during school holidays. In addition, it provides advice to members of the University who need to reconcile their job with supporting or taking care of a family member.

The Dual Career Service is also an important component in the University of Münster’s concept of staff development. In order to attract top academics as well as employees in senior positions, the Service offers spouses and partners professional support in shaping their own career prospects in the Münster region. It provides advice on career development issues, arranges contacts with employers, and seeks information on further training courses and internships that suit the partner’s educational profile.