1st quarter

Reporting period (January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024)

Dr.-Ing. Natalia Schaffel-Mancini was elected for a further term of office of eight years as Central Equal Opportunities Officer at Clausthal University of Technology. She has held this office since June 14, 2018 and is actively involved in equal opportunities work at our university.

As part of the women's network "Women&Science TU Clausthal", the first network evening of the year took place on January 12, 2024. Under the topic "(My) path to a professorship at a university of applied sciences", Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Michaela Huhn shared her experiences and discussed the requirements and opportunities of a female professor at a university of applied sciences. The second networking evening in March offered an insight into a male-dominated industry with Nicole Mölling, an experienced bank director.

The networking evening is a format in which the young female scientists at our university receive valuable impulses and the opportunity to exchange ideas and network.

In March, our women's network "Women&Science TU Clausthal" celebrated its third anniversary. Over the past three years, we have worked together to build an inspiring community that strengthens and empowers female scientists at our university. Through networking, mentoring and sharing experiences, we have created a platform where women can develop their full potential.

The Clausthal University of Technology Symphony Orchestra held a concert on January 26, 2024 under the motto "Strong Women". The program exclusively featured pieces by female composers in order to make women more visible in classical music.

Prof. Schenk-Mathes, in her role as Vice President for Gender Equality and Promotion of Young Academics, gave the welcoming address and the Equal Opportunities Office contributed an exhibition on 30 years of gender equality work at Clausthal University of Technology to the program.

The WiMINToringmentoring program for female Master's students will enter its second round in the coming summer semester 2024. The focus is on the transition from studying to working life and shaping a successful career. The application deadline was February 29, 2024, and we are delighted that 11 female Master's students from our university have decided to take part in the program. This high level of participation underlines the importance and effectiveness of this program.

TU Clausthal participated in the EON campaign #enerSHE. One of the videos as part of this campaign was filmed at our university with the participation of our students and the Equal Opportunities Officer. We would be delighted if we could attract more women to study STEM subjects at Clausthal University of Technology as a result.

The current participant in the Lower Saxony Technikum at Clausthal University of Technology, Ms. Sinja Ulrich, completed her final presentation for the Lower Saxony Technikum in cooperation with DIGIT during a review party on 26 January 2024 in the last week of January. She is very satisfied with the program and plans to enroll at the TUC in the summer semester for either the Computer Science or Digital Management Bachelor's degree program.

On 15 February 2024, the Equal Opportunities Office organized a workshop on "Personal Branding" for current and former participants of the Niedersachsen Technikum. It was emphasized that "personal branding" offers a targeted opportunity to build up an individual personal brand in the professional or scientific environment at an early stage. Together, they worked out how female technicians can create an attractive presentation to potential employers by reflecting on their own values and visions. The workshop offered numerous valuable recommendations and tips that the participants were given along the way.

The fourth round of the "Intersectional Gender Equality Work" dialog initiative kicked off on 22 February 2024 with a festive launch event in Hanover. Prof. Schenk-Mathes, in her role as Vice President for Gender Equality and Promotion of Young Academics, as well as Dr.-Ing. Natalia Schaffel-Mancini and Annett Panterodt from the Equal Opportunities Office represented Clausthal University of Technology.

As part of the fourth round of dialogue (2024 - 2026), the Ministry of Science and Culture, the State University Conference and the State Conference of Equal Opportunities Officers at Universities in Lower Saxony are focusing on the topic of intersectional gender equality work.

A current example of family friendliness at our university was the flexible childcare provided at the official inauguration of the new President of TU Clausthal, Dr.-Ing. Sylvia Schattauer, which was organized by the Family Service of our Equal Opportunities Office.

Since February 2024, parent-child gymnastics has been offered on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the hall of the Sports Institute. The focus is on promoting movement in children aged between 2 and 4 years, as well as providing an opportunity for parents or caregivers to exchange ideas.

This year's vacation care during the Easter break, known as the Children's Easter University, took place from March 18 to 22. All ten available places were filled and the children enjoyed a wonderful week full of different activities from the university and the region. A big thank you goes to everyone involved for helping to bring our research topics closer to primary school children.

We are planning two more weeks of vacation care for the summer vacations, the so-called Children's Summer University, which will take place in the first and last week of the summer vacations in Lower Saxony. These are already fully booked, which shows the high demand for our childcare services.