Department for Equity and Diversity
Our Mission
- promote and utilise the potential of all university members in order to make a contribution to educational equity and excellence
- realise equal opportunities by designing structural framework conditions and individual behaviour in such a way that discrimination can be counteracted and equal access and success opportunities can be made possible for all HHN members
- utilise the innovative potential of approaches from the areas of equality and diversity management in order to make a contribution to excellent teaching and research
What does diversity mean?
Diversity at HHN stands for the variety of people who come together every day at our university to learn, teach, work and research together. As the Department for Equality and Diversity, we support the university in creating an equal opportunities, open-minded and discrimination-sensitive environment in which diversity is valued and recognised as potential. We focus in particular on the following dimensions, which we address using an intersectional approach:
- social background
- gender
- religion / world view
- care work
- Disability / impairment
- ethnicity
- sexual diversity
- age
The resulting areas of responsibility are
- gender equality
- anti-racism work
- supporting religious diversity
- implementing the best possible accessibility for the inclusion of people with disabilities/impairments
- shaping Queer@HHN
- promoting educational equality and supporting first-time graduates
- prevention of adultism and age discrimination
- family equality with consideration of parenting and care responsibilities
How is diversity work organised at HHN?
The Department for Equity and Diversity is a department within the Prorectorate for International Affairs and Diversity. We work closely with the Gender Equality Officer, the Equal Opportunities Officer, the representatives against discrimination and bullying as well as the representative body for severely disabled people. Our work is supported by the Senate Commission on Equity and Diversity and the Family Working Group.
What are the tasks of the Department for Equity and Diversity?
- Organisational development: We develop specific structures, processes and concepts to promote equal opportunities, enable participation and prevent discrimination.
- Analyses and reports: We keep an eye on equality and other diversity goals and recognise the need for action.
- Advice: We offer various advisory and support services, e.g. the family service, mentoring programmes or help with discrimination and bullying.
- Implementation of specific projects: We develop and implement innovative projects and measures in this area.
- Specialist support: We help other departments at the university to implement equality and diversity issues in their area of work.
What specific projects are there?
Current projects in the department include the family-friendly university audit, anti-discrimination work, activities to promote women and international students and support for the Room of Silence. You can find an overview here.
HHN impresses with its equal opportunities concept
In the most important funding programme for more women in science and research, the Female Professors Programme 2030, HHN was able to impress with its gender equality concept.
