On March 14, 2024, members of the CRC 1333 participated in a full-day diversity training organized by the University of Stuttgart’s initiative “Pooling – Synergies for equal opportunities“. The workshop. facilitated by Dr. Melanie Bittner, focused on fostering awareness and competence in dealing with diversity in research and academic environments.
For the CRC 1333, Principal Investigator Prof. Joris van Slageren (Projects B04, C02); Prof. Niels Hansen (Projects C05, Seed 5, INF); Prof. Alexander Schlaich (Project A03), Dr. Sadia Noor (Project A08) as well as Dorothea Häussermann and Yasemin Polikar from the CRC 1333 Management Office took part.
The participants explored key diversity dimensions such as gender, age, race, class, sexuality, disability, religion, and care responsibilities. Through discussions, exercises, and case studies, the group examined how these aspects shape daily work, collaboration, and institutional structures.
Source: Gailsch Aichinger 2017, provided by Melanie Bittner
The training also provided space to reflect on existing diversity measures within CRC 1333 – including family-friendly working hours, childcare at events, a diversity board, and a 40% target quota for female PhD researchers – and to develop new ideas for further action. Suggestions included integrating diversity elements into CRC meetings, introducing all-gender toilets, enhancing communication practices, and offering mentoring and training opportunities.
By participating in this workshop, CRC 1333 members reinforced their commitment to creating an inclusive research environment where everyone can contribute and thrive.