Network
In the nationwide network for anti-discrimination work at universities, anti-discrimination offices and other departments that deal with the field at higher education institutions exchange information at a working level. Experiences from the respective anti-discrimination work and the localisation at the university are shared while discussing current topics and measures.
The Bundeskonferenz der Frauen- und Gleichstellungsbeauftragten an Hochschulen ("Federal Conference of Women's and Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities"), also known as bukof, is the gender policy voice in the scientific and higher education policy discourse. The bukof brings all those together who shape the structure and culture of universities in Germany in a gender-equal way.
Its members are the universities, represented by women's and gender equality representatives, employees in gender equality offices, functionaries in the areas of gender equality at universities and employees in the offices of the state conferences. Gender equality representatives from all status groups and types of higher education institutions contribute their expertise. The diversity of perspectives gives bukof its effectiveness and expertise. The bukof provides a joint platform for all gender equality stakeholders at universities. It facilitates the mutual exchange of information and experience on higher education and gender equality policy issues at state, federal and university level.
The bukof commission for queer* gender equality policies at universities develops strategies and measures for gender equality work that goes beyond the binary, heteronormative gender model.
bukof Commission for Queer* Equality Policies at Universities
The University of Wuppertal is a signatory of the Diversity Charter. The employer initiative Diversity Charter aims to promote diversity in companies and organisations and to create an appreciative and respectful climate. Signing the charter represents a commitment to honouring and respecting the diversity of employees and to respecting diversity in particular along the diversity dimensions of age, ethnic origin and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and ideology, sexual orientation and social background. This is also based on the conviction that a diversity-positive attitude is the only way to successfully and appropriately address the changing labour market.
Diversity at Universities is a nationwide network of employees who work together on an operational and strategic level and are entrusted with the implementation of diversity and anti-discrimination tasks at German universities (horizontal approach).
The University of Wuppertal is an active member of "Erfolgsfaktor Familie" ("Success Factor Family"), a joint initiative of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs and the leading associations of the German economy.
"Erfolgsfaktor Familie" is Germany's largest network for the compatibility of work and family, consisting of more than 6000 members. By signing the joint "Erfolgsfaktor Familie" declaration, the University has reaffirmed its commitment to a better work-life balance.
Since 2019, the University of Wuppertal has been an active member of the "Familie in der Hochschule" ("Family at University") association.
"Familie in der Hochschule" is an association of currently 128 universities as well as a student union in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. By signing the charter, the universities establish family-orientation as part of their profile and commit to continuing their high level of commitment in this area. The focus of the network's work is the collegial exchange of expertise and measures in order to learn from each other in the sense of continuous further development and to promote shared topics in a resource-saving and effective manner. The stakeholders from the participating universities meet once a year for joint conferences and twice a year in the respective working groups to discuss current developments on the topic of " compatibility".
The Equal Opportunities and Diversity Office enjoys a regular, fruitful collaboration with the FrauenBeratung & Selbsthilfe e.V. Wuppertal (" Women's Counselling & Self-Help Centre Wuppertal").
The latter is a general advice centre for women in emergency and crisis situations, a specialist centre against sexualised violence, a coordination centre for anonymous evidence collection after sexualised violence (ASS) and also offers self-empowerment groups on its topics (eating disorders, violence against women, separation/divorce and much more). The Wuppertal Women's Counselling Centre represents the feminist point of view of women's counselling in public, in committees and in specialist working groups.
The Family Office at the University of Wuppertal is an active member of the Hochschulnetzwerk Familie NRW (HNF) ("University Family Network NRW"), a network of family offices at universities, universities of applied sciences and university hospitals in NRW that meets every six months to exchange information and experiences.
The HNF was founded in 2005 on the initiative of the Family Service Office at RWTH Aachen University and currently consists of 29 member universities.
The Wuppertal Alliance was founded in 2006 as the 300th local alliance for families in Germany.
Developing Wuppertal into a more family-friendly city is one of the strategic goals of the mayor and council. Wuppertal would like to further strengthen its profile with the help of the alliance. By improving the situation of families in Wuppertal, the aim is to counteract demographic change, the increasing urban exodus and the growing problems of children, adolescents and families. In addition to improving the compatibility of family and career, the alliance is also concerned with strengthening education and upbringing.
Ochanomizu University in the centre of Tokyo has been a partner university of the University of Wuppertal since 2001. It is one of Japan's two state women's universities. On the initiative of Prof Jensen, more than 85 Japanese exchange students from the women's university have studied mathematics, chemistry, physics and computer simulation in science at the University of Wuppertal since 2008.
Conversely, students from the University of Wuppertal have taken part in the annual two-week "Ochanomizu University Summer Programme" at the Japanese university since 2011. The topics of these summer schools relate to Japanese culture and society and include aspects of gender equality and diversity.
Young female academics at the University of Wuppertal have the opportunity to participate in the Düsseldorf Selma Meyer Mentoring Programme. The members of the network have agreed on a further education concept to promote young female academics. The member universities offer corresponding programmes that are accessible nationwide. The mentoring programme is based on cooperation with the Equal Opportunities Officer at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Dr Anja Vervoorts.
SelmaMeyerMentoring of the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
