Future challenges

Inge HenningsenUniversity of Copenhagen

Women in Academia barriers and good practicerhus 18-19 May 2009

Future challenges4 challenges

Increase in resources for strategic researchIncrease in temporary positionsBiased allocation of resources between disciplinesExcellence - the new science policy buzzword

What are the gender implications?

Excellence - the new science policy buzzword

In the universities the traditional career track Assistant associate full professor is now only one of many trajectories and new power bastions are emerging

Excellence is one of the new difference defining notions that will influence the furture distribution of power and ressources in Ademia

The prevailing construction of excellence has profound gender connotations .

Gender and excellence(In research) excellence is not a universal fact or a natural given, or a supra-disciplinary fact. It is a social construction and, as such, it is open to many kinds of bias

Science as a social institution has been dominated by men (white and socially privileged) and their views of what are important and relevant. We can expect this to have a strong influence on dominant discourses and established research agendas and paradigms.

(EU: Gender and Excellence in the Making, 2004)

Gender bias, where? Gender bias were seen to occur

in the characterisation of scientific excellence, in the criteria used to assess it, in the choice of the explicit and implicit indicators for scientific excellence, in the way the criteria are applied to men and women, in the failure to integrate women in scientific networks, in the procedures through which criteria are applied to people.

(EU: Gender and Excellence in the Making, 2004)

I would like to add

Academic disciplines

Excellence

Prizes for old men

The Kavli PrizesThis year (2008) three outstanding international scientific prizes in the fields of Nanoscience, Neuroscience and Astrophysics will be awarded for the first time.Each prize consists of a scroll, a medal and a cash award of US $ 1 Million.

The prizes focus on the science of the greatest physical dimensions of space and time, the science of the smallest dimensions of systems of atoms and molecules, and the science of the most complex systems, especially living organisms. (Kavli prize Homepage)

The Kavli PrizesThis year (2008) three outstanding international scientific prizes in the fields of Nanoscience, Neuroscience and Astrophysics will be awarded for the first time.Each prize consists of a scroll, a medal and a cash award of US $ 1 Million.

The prizes focus on the science of the greatest physical dimensions of space and time, the science of the smallest dimensions of systems of atoms and molecules, and the science of the most complex systems, especially living organisms.

(Kavli prize Homepage)

Excellence

Prizes for young men

Young excellent investigators. Denmark2007: 7 men; 2008: 5 men; 2009 3 men + 2 womenDisciplines

Centres of excellence Denmark 1998-2009

Quantum Geometry of Moduli Spaces

Seje Vskers Dynamik

Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems

Social Evolution

Symmetri and Deformation

Uoplselige Proteinstrukturer

Particle Physics Phenomenology

Jordens Udvikling

Materials Crystollography

Biomembranfysik

Macroecology, Evolution and Climate Change

Funktionelt Integreret Hjernevidenskab

Particle Physics Phenomenol-ogy: CP3 Origins

Kvanteoptik

Ancient Genetics and Environments

Kvanteprotein

DNA nanoteknologi

Metalstrukturer i Fire Dimensioner

Epigenetik

Vand og Salt

Is og Klima

Nukleinsyrecentret

Komparativ Genomforskning

Funktionel Genomforskning

Kulhydratgenkendelse og -signalering

Fastfase Organisk Kombinatorisk Kemi

Membrane pumps in cells and disease

Katalyse

Bredygtig og Grn Kemi

Molekylr Plantefysiologi

Genotoksisk Stress

Tidsrkkekonometri

Hjertearytmi

Anvendt Mikrokonometri

Individuel Nanopartikel Funktionalitet

Autobiographical Memory Research

Inflammation og Metabolisme

Sociolingvistiske Sprogforandringsstudier

Kosmologi

Subjektivitetsforskning

Modeller af Liv

Tekstilforskning

Molecular Movies

Sortehavsstudier

mRNP Biogenese og Metabolisme

Studiet af Kulturarven fra Middelalderens Ritualer

Oxygenmikroskopi og Billeddannelse

Centres of excellence. Norway 2002-2007

Aquaculture Protein

Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis

Climate Research

Geohazards

Molecular Biology and Neuroscience

Biology of Memory

Quantifiable Quality of Service in

Communication Systems

Mathematics for Applications

Physics of Geological Processes

Theoretical and Computational Chemistry

Ships and Ocean Structures

Cancer Biomedicine

Equality, Social Organization, and Performance

Geobiology

Study of Civil War

Immune Regulation

Theoretical Linguistics

Integrated Petroleum Research

Study of Mind in Nature

Biomedical Computing

Medieval Studies

Excellent research in human sciences

ERC Starting Grants 2008 Applications and grants. Percentage of women i brackets

The usual suspectsA multi centered grants system is supposed to create diversity, but

If everybody uses the same criteria the result is the opposite

Today, excellence tends to narrow the scope of research

UNIK an exampleProfessor Jarle Aarbakke, Troms Universitet, Norge Rektor, professor Harriet Wallberg-Henriksen, Karolinska Instituttet, Sverige. Akademiprofessor Leena Peltonen-Palotie, Helsinki Universitet, Finland. Professor Bart de Moor, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgien. Professor Klavs F. Jensen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. Professor Martin J. Kropff, Wageningen University, Holland. Professor Pr Omling, Lunds Universitet, Sverige. Professor Olli Ikkala, Helsinki University of Technology, Finland. Professor Geoffrey Channon, University of the West of England, UK. Professor Lennart Hjalmarsson, Gteborgs Universitet, Sverige. Professor Emeritus Helga Haftendorn, Freie Universitt Berlin, Tyskland. UNIK a new Danish research program aimed at big programs.80 mio. Euro.4 projects were selected.

UNIK expert panel

UNIK expert panelPharmacologiPhysiologi/ Pharmacologi Molecular biologyBiology Engineer / applied mathematics Material sciences Material sciencesSolid state physicsIndustrial and economic historyIndustrial economicsInternational politics

UNIK expert panelPharmacologiPhysiologi/ Pharmacologi Molecular biologyBiology Engineer / applied mathematics Material sciences Material sciencesSolid state physicsIndustrial and economic historyIndustrial economicsInternational politics

Not very diverse!

Future challengesJudging from the current European discussion on the futures of universities, excellence is likely to become the new agent of difference, affecting the distribution of power and resources in academia.

We witness a (slight?) increase in the number of women in Academia.

Do we also witness the creation of new arenas where inequality is restored.