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European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference: European Women Rectors’ Platform

European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference: European Women Rectors’ Platform. Gülsün SAĞLAMER Istanbul Technical University 22 October 2010, Palermo. European Women Rectors: Beyond the Glass Ceiling. 1. Content. Setting the Scene: Background

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European University Association (EUA) Annual Conference: European Women Rectors’ Platform

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  1. European University Association (EUA)Annual Conference:European Women Rectors’ Platform Gülsün SAĞLAMER Istanbul Technical University 22 October 2010, Palermo European Women Rectors: Beyond the Glass Ceiling 1

  2. Content • Setting the Scene: Background • “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe” (11th of November 2008) • “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women Leadership in Higher Education”(12-14th of April 2010) • ITUWomen’s Studies Center in Science, Engineering andTechnology (WSCinSET) • Road Map & Recommendations 2

  3. Where are the women in academia? Marina Marchetti, 2008 3

  4. Background: Methaphors • Some of the metaphors referring to women’s predicament in academia are discussed widely. Metaphors linked to universities such as • “Ivory Tower”brought the new metaphor of “ Storming the Tower” • Metaphors related to • “Glass Ceiling” which defines limitation on academic promotions for women • “Chilly Climate” which depicts the fuzzy academic processes for women reflects inconveniences in the academic environment • “Leaking Pipeline” which defines the decreasing women’srepresentation throughout academic life 4

  5. Background: Women in Higher Education • Women now constitute about 50% of first degree students in many countries of the world • Women’s representation at undergraduate level is higher than men in many European countries (65% in Sweden) • The percentage of full professors who are women is very low worldwide, for the most part, below 15% • There are considerable variations in the proportion of women students between disciplines 5

  6. Glass Ceiling Index, 2004 (She Figures, 2006, pg59) 6

  7. Can “Changing Legislation” solve the problem? Legislation can affect the position of women in science in two main ways: • firstly it can prevent discrimination and • secondly it can promote positive action History of Gender Equality Gender Equality • 1st Wave 1918 equal perspective(tinkering)* Equal rights&opportunities • 2nd Wave 1960 women’s perspective(tailoring)* Equality outcomes, positive action • 3rd Wave 1990 gender perspective(transforming)* integrating gender equality into mainstream systems * Rees , 2005 7

  8. What are the Main Achievements in EU In order to advance towards the goal of gender equity in science and research, the EU and national governments have established the following set of intervention strategies: • Increasing women’s participation in science, technology and innovation, especially in industrial research • Empovering women in decision making positions in public research and private companies • Reconciling professional and private life(family-friendly working environment) • Redefining research excellence with the participation of women • Overcoming gender bias in assessment criteria • Strenghtening gender research across the whole European countries. 8

  9. Background: How we gotstarted? UNICAFE Survey of University Career of Female Scientists at Life Sciences versus Technical Universities • Istanbul Technical University took part in a FP6 project funded by EC (Proposal Contract No: 036695). • The project focused on the two major areas in engineering and life sciences fields in which women academics are generally under-represented. • Turkey was represented by Istanbul Technical University. 9

  10. UNICAFESurvey of University Career of Female Scientists at Life Sciences versus Technical Universities :The project was started in December 2006 and completed in December 2008. Participant Universities in this project are; Hungarian Science and Technology Foundation (co-ordinator), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BUTE-Hungary), Medical University of Graz (MUG Austria), Istanbul Technical University (ITU-Turkey), Semmelweis University (SE - Hungary), Tallinn University of Technology (TUT-Estonia), University of Oulu (OUL-Finland), University of Tor Vergata (URTV Italy-Rome) Synthesis reportwww.unicafe.ee 10

  11. Main recommendationsof UNICAFE to universities Equality and diversity targets should be stated in the mission statementof the university Measures should be takento raise gender awareness in the management and staff of the university Gender equality plans should be developed on both faculty and university levels Responsible organisational units and persons for implementing the gender equality plansshould be defined Implementations should cover Working conditions, salaries, career advancement, training, maternity/paternity and childcare allowances Sex disaggregated data collection and monitoring of university structures and processes: staff (considering e.g. different career levels and workingfields), pay gaps, age gaps, promotions,drop-outs External and internal experts should be employedto control the gender policy at the university year by year Financial incentives should be providedfor these developments Reasons, practices and action culture that maintain and reproduce women’s underrepresentation in the highest positions should be made more visible 11

  12. The Dissemination Conference of UNICAFE Project 12-13 November 2008), Istanbul 12

  13. Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe 11 November 2009 This meeting was organized as a pre-conference meeting of the UNICAFE dissemination conference titled “Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Academics in Engineering, Technology and Life Sciences Across Europe” (12-14 November 2008, ITU, Istanbul ) We invited women rectors and vice rectors of European universities which are already members in EUA. EUA supported us to organize such an event in Istanbul. We invited 43 EUA member universities and received 11 positive replies from 9 countries. We also extended our invitation to present and former women rectors and vice rectors of Turkish universities and received 10 positive replies The representative of EC was present in this meeting 13

  14. At the conference, women rectors - shared their experiencesto improve the situation of women academics, develop strategies for management positions, future-oriented cooperation and new projects, focused on new ideas to improve the conditions for women academics to remove the barriers for horizontal and vertical segregation. Decisions which were taken at the end of the meeting: To continue the organization of the meetings annually - next meeting to be hosted by ITU again. To develop new project proposals and initiatives to support this organization, To cooperate with the similar networks and organizations in the world. “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe” (11th of November 2008) 14

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  18. “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women Leadership in HigherEducation” 12-14 April 2010, Istanbul “Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women and Leadership In Higher Education”, which is again hosted by ITU and supported by IAUP (International Association of University Presidents) and EUA (European University Assosication). 18

  19. This year over 42 participants were registered (12 Turkish and 30 international) 49 participants were present (28 international and 21 turkish) “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women Leadership in HigherEducation” 12-14 April 2010, Istanbul 19

  20. “Women Academics Beyond the Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women Leadership in HigherEducation” 12-14 April 2010, Istanbul ORGANISING COMMITTEE Gülsün SAĞLAMER Mine G. TAN Ahsen ÖZSOY Özge ATALAY ÇELİK Benek ÇİNÇİK SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE M. Helena NAZARE Gülsün SAĞLAMER Mine G. TAN Christina ULLENIUS Krista VARANTOLA Margaret WINTERMANTEL 20

  21. Facts & Goals • Women academics' under-representation at top levels of administration in universities is undoubtedly a serious problem across the world. • The objectives of the “Beyond The Glass Ceiling: Women Rectors Across Europe, Women and Leadership In Higher Education” Conference were to examine the position and the experiences of women in higher educational administration and discuss the strategies that could be used to improve the inclusion of women at this level. • The conference aimed to achieve these objectives through analysis and comparison of different international practices and policies. 21

  22. Aims & Goals One other goal of the conference was to draw attention of such higher education instutions as • EUA (European University Association), • IAU (International Association of Universities), • IAUP (International Association of University Presidents) • SEFI (European Society for Engineering Education) and • CUM (Community of Mediterranean Universities) to women’s representation problems at administration and ask their support and help to create networks and platforms of collaboration regarding these objectives. 22

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