How can we target and eliminate existing blind spots concerning the importance of sex and gender in science and research? How can the contribution and potential of the gender dimension to scientific excellence and innovation more purposefully be taken into account for the benefit of science and research as well as research policy at national and European level?
The international conference “Ready for Dialogue”, in Berlin, will take these questions as starting point. The conference aims at initiating a strategic dialogue among relevant national and European key players, such as associations, (research) institutions and organizations that work within and outside the university context on the integration of the gender dimension in science and research. The aim is to foster the exchange between “knowledge” and “political action”, to strengthen and expand existing approaches in both areas and to develop a roadmap for the institutionalization of a regular dialogue.
The following topics are scheduled for discussion:
1. The conceptual approach of the strategic gender dimension and its sharpening with respect to strategic gender equality approaches.
2. The challenges with respect to the scientific recognition of the gender dimension in science, research and innovation, particularly within the excellence and innovation debate, but also in terms of discussions on the category ‘Diversity’.
3. The positioning of the strategic approach gender dimension in national and international research policies, such as research funding and targeted research programmes.
This conference addresses representatives of national and European institutional associations (institutions/organizations/networks) committed to the integration of the gender dimension in science and research or having an interest to do so in the future, actors in science and research that have yet to integrate the gender dimension into their scientific approach as well as junior scientists of all disciplines. As part of the event, all attending institutions will have the opportunity to present themselves and their activities in a concomitant poster session. Simultaneous translation into German and English will be provided.
The event will be organized by the Essen College of Gender Research at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, in close cooperation with the European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS as European partner organization. The project “Ready for Dialogue. Conference on the Gender Dimension in Science and Research” is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research BMBF, Germany, under grant number 01FP1456. The conference website and more details on how to register will be announced in due time.
Kindly forward this information to interested colleagues and organizations.
Both events take place prior to the European Gender Summit 2015, Berlin, 6-7 November 2015.
Dr Brigitte Mühlenbruch, President, European Platform of Women Scientists EPWS
Dr Maren A. Jochimsen, Managing Director, Sonja Zurmaar, Project Coordination, Essen College of Gender Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, E-Mail: sonja.zurmaar@uni-due.de