Diversity at the University of Copenhagen

The University of Copenhagen wants to be the best place for the best ideas. This is one of the strategic ambitions for the university in the 2030 strategy ‘Creating benefit for more people’. One of the prerequisites for the realisation of this ambition is that all employees and students at UCPH feel welcome regardless of background, orientation, and needs.

UCPH is one of Denmark’s largest places of work and study – and is characterised by high levels of diversity academically, and among our staff and students. It must be a place free from discrimination, unequal treatment and transgressive behaviour, and where productivity and creativity are significantly enhanced by diversity. It also helps to improve the quality of UCPH's core tasks: a safe working and study environment is necessary for employees and students to develop and contribute as much as possible to the university's activities.

For this reason, the University Leadership has adopted a strategic framework for 2025 - 2030, which entered into force on 1 August 2025, and which replaces the former action plans for equal opportunities and diversity. It will ensure a common direction for the work on diversity at UCPH. The strategic framework also functions as the University of Copenhagen's Gender Equality Plan.

The strategic framework is structured around five themes that guide both local and cross-organisational actions:

  1. Recruitment and attraction
  2. Onboarding and sense of belonging
  3. Gender and diversity in research, education, and innovation
  4. Accessibility – physical environment, language, and systems
  5. Everyday inclusion.

Three objectives unfold UCPH's strategic prerequisite of diversity, equity, and inclusion

  1. The University of Copenhagen wants to be a university characterised by diversity when it comes to managers, employees, and students
  2. The University of Copenhagen wants to be an inclusive university where everyone feels welcome
  3. The University of Copenhagen wants to work with diversity, equity, and inclusion in all its activities.

Each objective is supported by measurable indicators. The objectives and their indicators are further elaborated in the strategic framework.

Coordinators at the faculties and in the University administration collaborate with UCPH’s Diversity team to ensure knowledge sharing and inspiration across the entire university. A steering committee qualifies the work; the group is led by the strategic management sponsor for the area, dean Bente Merete Stallknecht.

If you have any questions, then you can always contact the UCPH Diversity team at diversitet@adm.ku.dk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the spring of 2019, a group of employees at the University of Copenhagen started a network for LGBTQIA+. The network meets as often as there is energy to arrange meetings and aims to contribute to the inclusive and diverse community at the University of Copenhagen.

The University of Copenhagen has participated in the Copenhagen Pride for a number of years, and with Strategy 2030 came a further focus on diversity as a core value for the University.

LGBTQIA+ employee network


The employee network is supported by the university through funding and secretarial assistance from the university's diversity team.

Read more about the LGBTQIA+ network

The DEI network

UCPH has a Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI) network. The purpose of the network is to create a space in which employees across UCPH can share their knowledge and experience with initiatives that promotes diversity, equality, and inclusion. 

You are welcome to participate in the network regardless if you already have experience with implementing initiatives, or if you have just started the work at your department or faculty. In other words, the network is for all employees who take interest in diversity, equality, and inclusion at UCPH. Hopefully the network will provide you with a space to explore new ideas and share experiences with colleagues.

If you are interested in being part of the network, please register via email to diversitet@adm.ku.dk.  

 

 

 

The University of Copenhagen participates actively in the international efforts to promote gender equality and diversity in the university world.

IARU working group

The University participates in the working group 'Women and Men in Globalising Universities' under the IARU university alliance.

Read more about IARU: ‘Women and Men in Globalising Universities’.

LERU working group

The University participates in the working group ‘Women and Men in Globalising Universities’ under the LERU university alliance.

Read more about LERU: Equality, diversity and inclusion

In June 2025 UCPH hosted both the biannual LERU EDI Group meeting and the biannual IARU Women and Men in Globalizing meeting.

 

 

In order to apply for funding under the Horizon Europe framework programme, public institutions, higher education institutions, and research organisations must have a Gender Equality Plan (GEP).
A Gender Equality Plan is a strategy for how organisations plan to identify, measure, and address gender inequality issues. Gender Equality Plans must contain concrete initiatives to be carried out, and in this way, they differ from more general goals of equality.
The strategic framework for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and the efforts under its auspices, also serve as the University of Copenhagen's Gender Equality Plan.

 

 

Every two years, the University of Copenhagen completes a gender equality statement. The statement is statutory for government organisations and assesses the status of the different efforts to promote gender equality. You can find the statements here:

 

The University of Copenhagen has over the last two decades worked on creating good and safe working and study environments for everyone, as well as improving the gender balance among employees and managers.

The university’s efforts to promote gender equality has previously been framed through actions plans for the periods 2008 - 2013, 2015 - 2018 and 2020 - 2025.

The first action plan, Diversity – More Women in Research and Management ran in the period 2008 - 2013.

In 2007, the former rector set up a task force to formulate a catalogue of ideas with a focus on how equality at UCPH could be strengthened. On the basis of the recommendations of the task force, UCPH's first action plan was taken into action in 2008. The action plan focused on increasing the number of female applicants for research positions at UCPH.

The action plan contained three points:
1. Financial incentive for faculties and departments
2. Internationalisation scholarships
3. Talent and management development.

The second action plan, Career, Gender, and Quality, ran in the period 2015 - 2018.

In 2012, the executive management decided to appoint a new task force in order to create a basis for new initiatives to strengthen gender equality at UCPH. On the basis of the recommendations of the task force, UCPH took up the second action plan in 2015.

The action plan described initiatives for gender balance in research, education, and management at UCPH and included eight action points:

1. Each faculty drew up action plans
2. Management's focus
3. Introduction of the use of search committees and focus on the recruitment process
4. Requirement for broadness in the field of applicants for academic staff positions (at least one of each gender)
5. Equal distribution and at least one applicant of each gender in the composition of assessment and appointment committees
6. Initiatives after maternal and parental leave
7. Clear career paths
8. Continuing education and enhanced knowledge about the gender perspective in research.
9. Studies of the reason for opting out of UCPH as a research workplace.

Based on the strategy for 2023, UCPH launched a project in 2019 aimed at ensuring the quality in recruitment processes of faculty, specifically with a focus on unconscious biases. The results of the Academic Staff Member Equality Project were activity based and included the following in 2019-2020:

  • L80 (a meeting forum for the rectorate, university director, deans, associate deans, faculty directors, heads of departments, and deputy directors from the central administration) completed educational program in diversity management.
  • 75 researchers from across the organization participated in a targeted development process about biases and behavioural design.
  • 10 departments have formulated local action plans for equality.

The project created great local engagement and several departments/faculties have decided to continue working with equality and diversity. For examples, see the ongoing initiatives mentioned in the university’s Action Plan for Gender Equality and Diversity 2022-2023.

 

Monitoring 2024 - Action plan for gender and diversity

Monitoring 2023 - Action plan for gender and diversity

 

 

 

 

At the University of Copenhagen, it's crucial that everyone can fulfill their potential. As a university, we can only raise the bar for research, innovation, and education if students and employees thrive and feel that they are welcome no matter their background, orientation, and needs. This requires all of us to take responsibility for creating an inclusive study and work environment.

Leadership at all levels has a special responsibility, but everyone can contribute to creating an inclusive and secure culture at the University of Copenhagen.

You can read more about diversity at UCPH on KUnet.