The new plan corresponds well with the activities previously implemented at Lodz University of Technology, which was the first technical university in Poland to receive the HR Excellence in Research logo from the European Commission back in 2016. Having the Gender Equality Plan in place, Lodz University of Technology now meets the formal condition for participation in competitions announced by the European Commission, under the Horizon Europe programme valid from 2022.
The plan covers all groups of employees and students at all levels of studies, especially doctoral candidates, the majority of whom are our research and teaching staff. It contains two parts: a diagnosis of the current situation based on a wide range of numerical data and an analysis of the current institutional and legal situation of the university, as well as proposals of measures for gender equality with the implementation horizon until 2024,
explains Professor Łukasz Albrecht, Vice-Rector for Science responsible for implementing the plan at TUL.
The document sets out 28 actions allocated to four areas: Institutional infrastructure; Gender balance in leadership, decision-making and research; Gender equality in recruitment and career development; and Work-life balance and organisational culture.
Over the next three years, the university will gradually implement the actions written into the plan. This will include the creation of equality officer posts and the establishment of an Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Mobbing and Anti-Harassment Committee. The knowledge base for the activities undertaken within the framework of the Plan will be a bookmark on TUL website with available publications, data and materials on the activities undertaken.
All the planned activities will serve the purpose of making Lodz University of Technology an even better place to work and study - for our entire community, adds Prof. Albrecht.