There is an ongoing underrepresentation of female professors in engineering. Therefore, it is important to make female role models visible, in particular in those disciplines which focus on technical knowledge. This involves an increase in the permeability of career paths, in particular for women, and also the expansion of the interconnection between science and business. A long-term cultural change is to be initiated with this innovative project approach. With this Visiting Female Professor Programme, the TU Darmstadt Executive Board has decided to start a pilot programme with the following participating departments:
- Transparency for intersectional career paths for women
- Raise the visibility of women of excellence
- Provide insights into the everyday life of a professorship
- Create networks between the visiting professors and the community of experts
- Create role models for female students and scientists
- Further development of the range of courses offered in relation to industry-related research
- Create visibility for companies that might be of interest to the students at the University
- Broaden the cooperation between industry and University
- Testing innovative approaches with regard to gender equality-oriented appointment policies
The appointments are in the form of a special employment relationship as visiting professors depending on the leave options granted by the employers for at least one to a maximum of two semesters. The applicants will clarify the options for their partial leaves of absence (sabbaticals) with their respective employer.