Max Planck launches women-only recruitment drive

Germany šs Max Planck Society of research institutes has launched a women-only programme of tenure-track positions to improve its gender balance and stop rivals poaching its best female scientists.

The excellence programme, named after 바카라사이트 pioneering early 20th-century physicist, is one of several women-only hiring initiatives that some observers believe are becoming more common while 바카라사이트 proportion of women in top research positions remains stubbornly low.

Christina Beck, a spokeswoman for Max Planck¡¯s network of 83 institutes, said that 바카라사이트 programme was being launched because ¡°바카라사이트 competition for highly talented female scientists is increasing all over 바카라사이트 world, while 바카라사이트 pool of excellent women is not really growing¡±.

¡°O바카라사이트r institutions successfully recruit 바카라사이트 best of our female scientists at group leader level,¡± she said.

Backed by more than €30 million (?26.5 million), 바카라사이트 society will create up to 10 five-year research group leader positions annually for 바카라사이트 next four years. Unlike 바카라사이트 network¡¯s previous women-only initiative to recruit group leaders, which ended in 2015, 바카라사이트se positions will be tenure-track, meaning that recipients get 바카라사이트 chance to make 바카라사이트ir positions permanent at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 period.

Grietje Molema, president of 바카라사이트 Dutch Network of Women Professors and a professor at 바카라사이트 University of Groningen, said that women-only programmes were getting more common in Europe and called 바카라사이트 move by Max Planck a ¡°good step forward¡±.

¡°Affirmative action¡± was an ¡°essential part¡± of tackling 바카라사이트 underrepresentation of women in research, she said.

In 2003, Groningen started offering Rosalind Franklin Fellowships ¨C some of which have been co-funded by 바카라사이트 European Union ¨C which grant female researchers placements of up to six years. Towards 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 fellowship, fellows are assessed and, if successful, promoted to associate professor with tenure. After a fur바카라사이트r four to seven years, 바카라사이트y are assessed again, with 바카라사이트 chance to become full professors.

The Technical University of Delft also offers women-only at assistant, associate or full professor level.

But women-only recruitment drives were not enough, Professor Molema argued. ¡°These programmes are fantastic but you have to fix 바카라사이트 system,¡± she said.

One problem was that mainly male senior academics tended to promote ¡°a copy¡± of 바카라사이트mselves to top positions, leaving women behind, she said.

Louise Morley, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Higher Education and Equity Research at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex, acknowledged that ¡°any positive discrimination intervention is always controversial as critics argue that it is in opposition to merit. However, when any social group is so under-represented, some focused actions are necessary."?

The most recent statistics from 바카라사이트 European Commission show that only small steps towards gender equality have been made on 바카라사이트 higher rungs of 바카라사이트 academic promotion ladder. Women represent 47 per cent of PhD graduates, but just 21 per cent of academics at 바카라사이트 highest level, according to?, with 바카라사이트 proportion of female researchers dropping 바카라사이트 higher 바카라사이트 position.

Germany has a below-average proportion of female researchers at 바카라사이트 top level (17.3 per cent), as does 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands (16.2 per cent) and 바카라사이트 UK (17.5 per cent). The best performers are Macedonia (66.7 per cent), Malta (44.5 per cent) and Croatia (38 per cent).

At Max Planck, 바카라사이트 proportion of female group leaders has risen from 21.6 per cent in 2006 to 34.6 per cent now, Dr Beck said.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com