The recent focus on research careers and, in particular, ongoing efforts to make a career in academia more attractive reflect the fact that universities play an increasingly important role in European society and in the economy. The Swiss Federal Equal Opportunity at Universities Program has organized the conference “Changing Research Careers” in collaboration with the Office for Gender Equality at the University of Zurich to adress the implications this development has for equal opportunities. Switzerland, as well as all other European countries in the EU and beyond, faces the particular problem that women are conspicuously under-represented in the upper echelons of academia. Addressing this issue is important for several reasons: for the sake of preventing the loss of talent and potential for innovation as well as for the sake of fairness and the promotion of non- discrimination and equal opportunities. The conference provides the opportunity to address policies and practices that influence the selection processes which determine who pursues a career in academia and who does not. It concludes with a panel discussion on the topic of the promotion of young talent – selecting tomorrow’s leaders.
More information is available on the conference website www.crus.ch/careerconference.
Illustration : J.o.h.n. Walker, « Graduation Caps», 08.05.2010, Flickr, (licence Creative Commons).
