The Baden-Württemberg Center for Applied Research (BW-CAR), the doctoral centre of the Baden-Württemberg Association of Universities of Applied Sciences, has a new Equal Opportunities Officer. Professor Dr Christina Simon-Philipp (Stuttgart University of Applied Sciences, previously Deputy Equal Opportunities Officer) was elected by a clear majority of the doctoral senate on 17 January 2025
"It is an important task to further promote equal opportunities and diversity at the BW-CAR Doctoral Centre. Together with everyone involved, I would like to strengthen a culture of appreciation and openness that offers development opportunities, especially for our young academics," emphasises the new Equal Opportunities Officer, Ms Simon-Philipp, who will take on the role for the next two years.
The new Deputy Equal Opportunities Officer, Professor Dr.-Ing. habil. Natividad Martínez Madrid (Reutlingen University, Research Unit II/ Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Medical Technology), is looking forward to the new task and adds: "I am looking forward to developing and implementing innovative approaches together with my colleague Ms Simon-Philipp in order to further strengthen and promote equality among the members of the doctoral centre."
With this election, BW-CAR is emphasising its goal of anchoring a culture of equality in the practice-oriented research landscape and further improving the framework conditions - especially for early career researchers. One of the first tasks of the new Equal Opportunities Officer will be to operationalise the cascade model and finalise the equal opportunities concept, which will serve as the strategic basis for work in this area.
Dirk Benyoucef (Furtwangen University, Research Unit III/ Computer Science and Electrical Engineering - Engineering Sciences 2), is pleased with the outcome of the election and explains: "With the new Equal Opportunities Officers, we can implement concrete measures to promote equality. We look forward to working together to develop practical solutions that will sustainably improve our structures. Congratulations to Prof. Dr Christina Simon-Philipp and Prof. Dr habil. Natividad Martínez Madrid on their election!"
The term of office began on 6 February 2025 and ends on 5 February 2027.
Personal details: Prof. Dr Christina Simon-Philipp is Head of the Centre for Sustainable Urban Development at HFT Stuttgart. As an expert in sustainable neighbourhood development, urban renewal and transdisciplinary teaching research projects, she supervises various research projects and doctorates. She has been teaching urban development and urban planning in the Architecture and Design programme at HFT Stuttgart since 2007. Prof Simon-Philipp studied architecture and urban planning at the University of Stuttgart, where she also completed her doctorate, and at ETH Zurich.
Author: PhD Association BW-CAR/HFT Stuttgart. Link
Research-strong professors in the doctoral association
About the Baden-Württemberg Doctoral Association: The Baden-Württemberg Doctoral Association, based in the state capital Stuttgart, is an umbrella organisation that exercises the independent right to award doctorates at the state's universities of applied sciences. A total of 24 universities of applied sciences, including 21 state universities and three universities under church sponsorship, have joined forces after being granted the right to award doctorates by the Ministry of Science in 2022. Currently, 325 professors with a proven track record in research are working together in five research units in the associated doctoral centre BW-CAR and a total of seven doctoral degrees can be awarded.