In recognition of her services and her dedication to the European Platform of Women Scientists over the past 16 years, the EPWS Board of Administration in June 2021 elected Prof. Claudine Hermann as EPWS Honorary President 2021.
For more than 25 years, Claudine Hermann has been studying the situation of women scientists in Western Europe and promoting science for girls, through papers and conferences, in France and abroad. She served as a member of the expert group that produced the ETAN Report Science Policies in the European Union: promoting excellence through mainstreaming gender equality published by the European Commission in 2000. From 1999 to 2006 she was member of the Helsinki Group on Women and Science established by the European Commission to bring together representatives from Member States and Associated Countries to promote equality between women and men in research and innovation and to embed the gender dimension in science, research and innovation contents and programmes, with the task to assist the Commission in the preparation of legislative proposals and policy initiatives.
As co-founder and first president of the French association Femmes & Sciences, Claudine Hermann served as member of the first EPWS Board of Administration to provide international scientific support and advice for the development and expansion of the European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS – newly founded in 2005 by the Center of Excellence Women and Science CEWS/University of Bonn as winner of the EU grant to establish the Platform – into an international institution.
After the end of the EU funding phase in October 2009, she continued her commitment to the Platform, serving as member of the EPWS Executive Committee for twelve years: first as the Platform’s Vice-President (2009-2017) and later as the President of the European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS (2017-2021).
During her time as EPWS president, Claudine Hermann represented the Platform with speeches, interviews and as panelist at numerous high level occasions at EU level as well as at events of EPWS member associations throughout Europe. With her special attention on networking member networks and on raising members’ visibility as well as the visibility of women scientists’ contributions at EU level, she initiated the “Member of the Month” and the “Women Scientist of the Month” sections on the EPWS website. Turning the different interviews into three booklets contributed to raising the profile of EPWS member associations and highlighted the mission of EPWS, making the power of networking accessible for new generations of women scientists. Under Claudine Hermann’s main authorship, EPWS since 2011 produced ten benchmarking reports for the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, covering topics related to gender, research, academia, and the scientific workforce. Through these reports as well as other successful fundraising activities, she networked EPWS with influential institutions and contributed substantially to the Platform’s annual income.
In 2015, the President of France awarded Claudine Hermann the title of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour in recognition of her former activities as first woman professor at École Polytechnique and for her ongoing involvement in the women and science issue.
In acknowledgement of her merits and achievements with regard to the promotion of equal opportunities in science and research and in gratitude and appreciation of her unswerving commitment to the Platform in her different capacities over the past 16 years, the EPWS Board of Administration in June 2021 elected Claudine Hermann as EPWS Honorary President 2021.
Extract from the Message by Prof. Claudine Hermann to the EPWS General Assembly
by video conference, 29 June 2021
“During the 4 years of my presidency, and the previous years of my vice-presidency, I had the pleasure to know better many of you and your activities and sometimes to help networking between you. It was a real pleasure.
I wish all the best for the future to EPWS and to your own activities to promote gender equality in science and the gender dimension in research in Europe.”