Launch of the joint project "Traumberuf Professorin Plus"

On Friday, January 26, 2024, the "Traumberuf Professorin Plus" project officially launched its first round of mentoring with a kick-off event at Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA). The mentoring and qualification program aims to encourage talented women to pursue a career in teaching and research at universities. It continues the successful predecessor project "Traumberuf Professorin", in which 37 of a total of 113 mentees were appointed to a professorship within four years.

What makes "Traumberuf Professorin Plus" outstanding is the first-time cooperation of all 21 universities of applied sciences and the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University under the umbrella of the State Conference of Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities of Applied Sciences and the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University. The joint initiative strengthens networking and the exchange of knowledge between the universities and creates an even more solid basis for the promotion of talented women.

Around 180 guests were invited to the official kick-off event in Karlsruhe, including representatives of the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts (MWK), the rectorates of the partner universities and the mentees and mentors of the first mentoring round with 50 tandems. RWU was represented by Professor Dr. Theresa Breckle, who is involved as a mentor, and Dr. Anja Wagner, Equal Opportunities Officer.

"Opening up professional perspectives"

The Vice President and Professor of Air Conditioning Technology at Trier University of Applied Sciences and mentee of the predecessor project, Professor Dr. Beate Massa, gave an impressive insight into her career in her keynote speech and emphasized the importance of the mentoring project: "The project has opened up a new professional perspective for me and shown me unexpected and exciting areas of responsibility at the university." Project manager Prof. Sissi Closs from the HKA emphasizes that "the project can be used to retain talented women at universities." An important building block for a successful appointment is the qualifying accompanying program of the project with network meetings, seminars and workshops, "because on the way to a professorship, the networking of women in business, the public sector and science naturally plays a decisive role," Sissi Closs continues.

"By participating in 'Traumberuf Professorin Plus', RWU is taking a further step towards promoting women in academia," says Professor Dr. Schreier-Alt, Equal Opportunities Officer at RWU, "and now as part of a nationwide network." The project is being funded for five years with 465,000 euros from the European Social Fund and 350,000 euros from the MWK.