Re-audit "Shaping diversity" successfully completed - certification until 2027

In 2024, the University of Göttingen successfully completed the re-audit "Shaping Diversity" of the Stifterverband and now holds the re-audit certificate for another three years until 2027.

The re-audit serves to review, consolidate and further develop the diversity strategy developed in the initial audit and supports universities in consistently pursuing their specific diversity goals.

The re-audit was based on the University's self-evaluation report, which was submitted to the Stifterverband in March 2024: It reflects the implementation status of the diversity strategy in various fields of action since the initial audit in 2019, describes new priorities in diversity policy and work and formulates development goals for the period up to 2027.

In April 2024, a peer commission made up of vice presidents and diversity stakeholders from other universities and colleges took a critical look at the University's diversity work as part of the Peer Review Day. The Peer Review Day included a public presentation of the university's diversity work as well as various rounds of discussions between the peer commission and the university management, student representatives and diversity stakeholders.

The peer commission summarised its final statements and recommendations in a final report. In their final report, the peers praise the self-evaluation report, recognise the University for the implementation status of its diversity work and emphasise that the great commitment of numerous students and employees in the field of diversity work is a strength of the University. However, they also point out that sustainable diversity work requires reliable and adequate resources, e.g. in the Equal Opportunities and Diversity Unit. In addition, they call for the professional development of anti-discrimination counselling, emphasise that the Presidential Board should make even better use of its steering and role model function, advocate strengthening communication between university management and student (groups) and recommend systematising the implementation of compensation for disadvantages.

The final report and the peer commission's recommendations contained therein were discussed by the Presidential Board and the relevant committees. The University has already implemented individual recommendations - a professional anti-discrimination counselling service for all members and affiliates of the University has already begun its work. A working group "Accessible UniGOE" is working under the leadership of Vice-President, Prof Hanewinkel, on the evaluation and more systematic implementation of compensation for disadvantages, among other things.

The University's self-evaluatoin report and the final report can be found here in the right-hand column and on the intranet on the Equality & Diversity page in the section "Diversity orientation as a cross-sectional task". Both documents are available only in German.