She is the new women’s representative at Hof University of Applied Sciences: Prof. Dr. Anett Matthäi, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and professor in the master’s program “Sustainable Textiles” at the Münchberg campus. Her term of office starts with the retirement of long-time women’s representative Prof. Dr. Margarete Blank-Bewersdorff on Sept. 24, 2022, and ends on March 14, 2024. Prof. Matthäi was previously deputy women’s representative.
In a short interview, the campuls.digital editorial team spoke with Prof. Matthäi about her new role and the most important aspects of her work.
As of Sept. 24, 2022, you will follow in the footsteps of your predecessor, Prof. Dr. Margarete Blank-Bewersdorff, as Women’s Representative at Hof University of Applied Sciences. What are you planning for your new task?
I was lucky enough to have already spent a year as Margarete Blank-Bewersdorff’s deputy and to gain an insight into the current tasks.
One new aspect that will become more important especially for research universities is the Gender Equality Plan. I see other new aspects, such as the implementation of diversity aspects or also the avoidance of disadvantages for men who move away from the “classic” role models, as fields of action in gender equality.
As with all new tasks, I think it is important to first get as complete a picture as possible of the overall situation and to enter into an exchange with the colleagues who have been elected to take on the tasks of equality and the advancement of women at the university.
What do you consider to be the most central aspect of equality?
I think transparency is the most important aspect. Only when all the facts are known is it possible to decide whether there is a disadvantage and, if so, to eliminate it.
What is your most important advice for female students and scientists?
The same one I would give to a student or a scientist: be dedicated and good at what you do and don’t afford yourself weaknesses in professional aptitude. Expect fair treatment and play fair yourself.
We congratulate you warmly on your election as Women’s Representative and wish you every success for your term of office!
An overview and comparison of the tasks of the women’s representative and the equal opportunity representative at the university
Women’s representatives: The basic principles of the work of the women’s representatives are anchored in the Bavarian Higher Education Act. They take care to avoid disadvantages for female scientists, female teachers and female students; they support the university in fulfilling its task of promoting the implementation of equal rights for women and men and working towards the elimination of existing disadvantages.
Equal opportunity commissioner: The task of an equal opportunity commissioner is to promote equal rights for women and men in public institutions and companies and to provide support in this regard.
The legal basis for this is the Bavarian Equal Opportunities Act (BayGlG). The law also obliges Hof University of Applied Sciences to prepare an equal opportunities concept. The university fulfills this requirement by developing an equal opportunity concept for non-scientific personnel and by continuously updating this concept.