Stepping Up: More Than a Third of German Public Universities Led by Women
- Females head over one third of Germany's publicly-funded academic institutions
Hear ya! Ladies are bossing it up at German public universities, according to Isabel Roessler from CHE. It's never been rougher seas for these gals as they take the helm, bringing in a breath of fresh air.
One thing's for sure – these chicks are newbies. Most of 'em got the job at their current uni recently. "Imagine the change that's about to happen," Roessler beamed.
Strangely enough, their origins ain't too diverse. Nine outta 174 leaders weren't even born within the borders. You guessed it – most of 'em are from North Rhine-Westphalia.
Twelve public universities since December 2024 had a leader from an eastern German region (excluding Berlin). Back in 2018, no eastern German leader graced a university throne. It's a trend that's makin' a comeback! In universities of applied sciences, this number boomed to seven in 2019.
As for their ages, most leaders are 58. But, one in ten is under 50. Legal eagles and economists dominate the academic world, with about a third of leaders earning their stripes in these fields.
Here's the weird part: Around 60% of these university leaders have been in the job since 2020. In 2024, 24 empty seats got filled.
- Germany
- Women taking charge
- CHE
- Gütersloh
- More women than ever
- Society strives for gender balance
- The increase in women taking charge at German public universities, as reported by Isabel Roessler from CHE, signifies a significant step towards attaining gender balance in leadership roles in Germany.
- These women leaders are not only new faces at their respective universities but also bring a fresh perspective, fostering change and progress.
- Interestingly, a majority of these women leaders hail from North Rhine-Westphalia, with a growing number from eastern German regions making inroads into university leadership.
- In universities of applied sciences, the number of women leaders from eastern German regions spiked to seven in 2019, demonstrating a positive trend in promoting gender diversity in education-and-self-development institutions.
- Despite the majority of university leaders being in their 50s, a substantial number under 50 are making their mark, particularly in fields like law and economics, reflecting the significance of vocational training in shaping leaders across various sectors.
