Equality and diversity
The University of Copenhagen has an international work and study environment based on values such as democracy, openness and equal opportunities. The University is an inclusive workplace that wishes to attract the most talented students and staff regardless of personal background. The University is keen to create a tolerant culture where everyone is treated equally, and where diversity is a strength, not a challenge.
To ensure that the work with equality and diversity is data-driven and pervasive for the organisation, UCPH has chosen to frame the work in an action plan. This is valid until a new action plan for the work comes into force, expected on 1 August 2025.
The action plan is structured around 6 main goals:
- Ensure broad involvement of the entire organisation in relation to goals and directions of the gender equality and diversity effort
- Verify and improve data quality and knowledge base with a view to promotion gender equality and diversity
- Lift organisational knowledge about gender equality and unconscious bias
- Boost organisational culture, particularly in relation to the prevention and handling of offensive behaviour
- Support equal opportunities in recruitment and promotion
- Enchance organisational knowledge of gender in research and education
Equality and diversity efforts are key at UCPH. We are all responsible for ensuring and contributing to good and safe work communities with room for diversity and innovation. With the new action plan in hand, we will have the opportunity to upgrade our organisational dialogues about equality and diversity, our knowledge base and our skills.
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 employee network is supported by the university through funding and secretarial assistance from the university's diversity consultant.
Read more about the LGBTQIA+ network
QUKU
The Queer Union Københavns Universitet (QUKU) organizes events and provides a space and community for queer UCPH students and alumni, where they can socialize.
QUKU is also dedicated to providing advice and support to LGBTQIA+ students at UCPH, as well as to improving queer rights at UCPH.
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.
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:
- Statement of equality 2023 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2020 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2017 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2015 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2013 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2011 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2009 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2007 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2005 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2003 (in Danish only)
- Statement of equality 2001 (in Danish only)
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 and 2015-2018.
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 2022-2024 .
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. 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.