FESTA Female Empowerment in Science and Technology Academia

1. FESTAFemaleEmpowermentin Science and TechnologyAcademia Improving the institutionalenvironment for female researchers Minna Salminen-Karlsson Uppsala University Minna.Salminen@uadm.uu.se

2. Who we are: • Uppsala University, Sweden • SyddanskeUniversitet, Denmark • RWTH Aachen Universität, Germany • University of Limerick, Ireland • Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Italy • Istanbul Teknik Universitesi, Turkey • South-West University, Bulgaria Whoweare: Personnel/facultyadministrators Gender equality officers Gender researchers Science/technology researchers In different positions in ourinstitutionalhierarchies

3. What we want to do FESTA agenda Betterworkingenvironment for female researchers on all careerstages Workwithstructures and processes, not withwomen Try out same measures in severalEuropeancontexts, compare EU agenda Morewomeninto research, in particularmorefemale professors Lasting change Europeanaddedvalue

4. Whatarewedoing – our actions Awareness raising Gender equalityindicators– statistics Individualawarenessraising Decision making and communication processes Formal decision making processes Informal decision making and communication processes Perceptions ofexcellence Hiring processes Perceptions of excellence in workingenvironment Interaction Meeting culture PhD supervision Analysisofresistance

5. What’s in it for the rest of Europe? Publications: • ”Toolkits” and products from different actions • webdecision support system for female researchers • hiringcriteriaguidelines • study material for PhD education • handbook for managingresistance

6. Raising organizational awareness – using statistics • Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Italy • Collecting and understanding statistics • What is ourquestion? • Canwemeasure? How? • Effort/valueratio • From figurestoawareness • Howto make statistics interesting, easyto read? • Howtocommunicatethem and towhom? • Howto make action plans?

7. Excellence in hiring processes • Germany, Bulgaria, Turkey, Ireland, Italy • Interviews with different parties in threeselectedappointmentprocesseseach • The concept of ”fitting” • One of us • Safe investment • More of the same

8. Excellence in hiring processes • Scientificachievements – easiesttomeasure • But do not takeintoaccount the conditions under whichtheyareproduced • The best fit • knowing the rules of the game • Soft skills – not rationallymeasuredbutimportant • Oftendecisive, but not transparentlyassessed • Locallogics • what is valuedvariesaccordingto national contexts • ”careceiling” variesbutexistseverywhere

9. Excellence in the dailyworkingenvironment • Sweden, Germany, Bulgaria • The quest for excellence: • Excellencebringslargemoney • Excellence is measuredquantitatively • The quest for excellence influences the working environment • Good working environment is necessary for reaching excellence • The quest for excellence affects women and men differently

10. Problem areas • Informalpower • Independence • Teaching • Research and life outside research • Requirements of mobility • Networks, visibility • Contrast between excellent and marginalised research areas

11. Thank you! (and wishusgoodluck)