A pioneering programme for gender equality and academic excellence

Over the past six years, the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) has strengthened its position as an attractive employer and centre of research through the Women Professors Programme III. Thanks to this funding, female professors have been appointed or funded, innovative gender equality measures have been implemented, and sustainable structures for equal opportunities have been established. The programme has thus made an important contribution to the university’s strategic development and to attracting outstanding female researchers.

As the 2020–2026 funding period draws to a close, BTU is taking stock: the Women Professors Programme III has provided impetus that extends far beyond the support of individual female academics. The achievements include the establishment of data-driven gender monitoring, innovative mentoring and career development programmes, the strengthening of networks for women in academia and STEM subjects, and numerous measures to highlight female research excellence.

The past five-plus years have had a lasting impact on gender equality work at the BTU. Whether female professors, PhD candidates, academic staff, women on governing bodies, or STEM students and tutors – they have all benefited from the additional gender equality measures funded by the federal government. Female researchers at BTU are now more visible and influential than ever: their research attracts national and international attention; they contribute their expertise to major research consortia and transformation projects; and they are increasingly featured in the media as experts. In doing so, they enrich scientific and societal debates with important perspectives and contribute to the university’s innovative strength.

A particular focus was placed on attracting and supporting schoolgirls and female students to pursue STEM study programmes. A total of 32 STEM scholarships for women were awarded. The scholarship holders received academic and personal support from the STEM ambassadors. Many of them are now themselves active as BTU ambassadors, presenting their own projects at schools in the Lausitz region and inspiring young women to take an interest in technology, the natural sciences and research. The ‘Geek Girls’ exemplify a new generation of self-assured STEM talents and have become visible role models for schoolgirls in the region.

The programme is also having a significant structural impact: the proportion of female professors at the BTU has risen from 21 to 31 per cent. With its established gender monitoring system, the university now has an important tool for highlighting developments and strategically pursuing gender equality goals. At the same time, the data show that women at the BTU are more involved than ever in governing bodies and are actively shaping the development of their university.

Overall, the Women Professors Programme III has catalysed a noticeable cultural shift. Gender equality, diversity and equal opportunities are now even more firmly embedded as cross-cutting priorities in research, teaching and university development. This is also evident in new participation and exchange formats, as well as in the work of the Senate Commission on University Culture and the University Community. The funding has helped ensure that diversity at the BTU is not merely formulated as a goal, but is increasingly perceived as a lived reality.

The programme’s results and their significance for the university’s future development will be the focus of the closing event “FEM*Lights” on 25 June 2026.

The event will be opened by Brandenburg’s Minister for Science, Manja Schüle, and BTU President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande. Key findings from the funding phase will be presented, along with projects such as the Geek Girls, the STEM Women’s Network, the “GENial” project funding scheme and the FEMVision Mentoring Programme with the VisionärinnenSalon.

“The Women Professors Programme III has strengthened the university far beyond the funding of individual female researchers. It has enabled us to attract renowned female professors to our university and to establish sustainable structures for equal opportunities. I am convinced that cultural diversity and equal opportunities open up new avenues for development and are essential prerequisites for academic excellence and innovation,” emphasises BTU President Prof. Dr Gesine Grande.

Female academics in conversation

A highlight of the event is the FEM*Lights salon talk featuring the female professors supported by the programme: Stefanie Kiwi Menrath, Juliane Noack Napoles, Melanie Jaeger-Erben and Johanna Blokker. They will talk about their research, their experiences at BTU and the significance of the programme for their career paths. An accompanying poster exhibition provides insights into the development and impact of the Female Professors Programme III.

At the same time, the Decarbon Days are taking place on the main campus – an international cleantech and transformation festival bringing together stakeholders from academia, business and politics on 24 and 25 June 2026. The focus will be on decarbonisation, green industry, innovation and the economic development of Lusatia as Europe’s first ‘Net Zero Valley’.

Date

Date: Thursday, 25 June 2026, 10 am–1 pm
Venue: Main Lecture Theatre and Pavilion, Main Campus of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg
All interested parties are warmly invited.