Equal Opportunities

EqO

In a nutshell: equality in KSETA

  • We offer CONSULTING on the following topics:
    - Gender equality
    - Pursuing a PhD while raising children
    - Women in science
    - LGBTQI+ in science
    - Doing a PhD with a disability or chronic illness
    - Living in Germany as an international PhD student

  • We ENCOURAGE participation in key skills courses: Are you interested in attending a work–life balance course but couldn’t find one through KHYS? Get in touch! We can suggest alternative options and offer financial support. If enough KSETA members are interested, we also organize our own courses.

  • We SUPPORT childcare solutions: Are you planning to attend a conference or travel for work, but unsure what to do with your child? We can help! We work with you to develop a personalized childcare plan and provide substantial financial support—whether during business trips or outside your regular daycare hours.

  • We ARE HERE for you: Working on a PhD while being a parent, navigating a male-dominated field, or dealing with complex German bureaucracy can be challenging. Whatever difficulties you're facing—talk to us! We help you find tailored solutions that fit your unique situation.

Points of contact in difficult situations

If you experience or witness any form of unacceptable behaviour, such as discrimination, sexual harassment, also in subtle forms (see KIT Code of Conduct under https://www.comp.kit.edu/english/164.php), you can approach the KSETA Equal Opportunities Team (kseta-edi∂lists.kit.edu) or the KIT Equal Opportunities Team (https://www.chg.kit.edu/english/sexual_harassment.php). 

An overview of persons to approach about equal opportunity issues is given under https://www.chg.kit.edu/english/73.php. 

Conversations with the Vertrauensfrauen/Equal Opportunities Representatives are subject to confidentiality. 

For physics in particular, the equal opportunities representative is Prof. Margarete Mühlleitner.

There are also Ombudspersons in the case of any conflicts between doctoral researchers and supervisors (https://www.khys.kit.edu/english/ombudspersons.php).

An overview of various consulting services at KIT is given here:
https://www.kmb.kit.edu/english/271.php

Equal chances inside KSETA - our offer to You

  • You have ideas for softskill courses which focus on topics like "Women in Science" or "Family and Work"?
    We organise and finance courses of this type.

  • You are doing your PhD but you also have a child and you want to work at least three mornings at home?
    We provide you with a home office equipment, talk to us!

  • Another stupid comment from your supervisor?
    Where different generations and cultures work together there are clashes of different role models. We advise you and mediate in case of a conflict and thus try to find stategies for a solution.

  • You wonder whether your wish of having a child will interfere with your PhD? Organising the daycare of your child is more difficult than what you thought?
    We cannot offer a regular childcare but we can provide financial and organisational support in emergency cases (care outside of core hours, business trip, etc.). Some of us are parents and can pass their experiences to you, provide helpful tips, or establish contact to other parents.

  • We want to help you, but we cannot solve problems that we don't know about. Talk to us early! Confidentially or anonymously, if you want. The sooner you indicate the difficulties, the easier it will be to find solutions.

More concretely:

KSETA finances a nanny for the annual PhD Workshop in Bad Herrenalb or the annual KSETA Plenary Workshop. If you are interested to bring your child, please contact us.

KSETA fireside-chat: The fireside-chats are inofficial meetings where we invite two young scientists. In a personal atmosphere these guests will discuss with you about their career, career moves, and personal decisions that have brought them to the position where they are now.

KSETA Women Stammtisch: The "Women Stammtisch”  are informal meetings in a pub or restaurant, where we invite female scientists at different career levels. In a relaxed atmosphere these guests will talk about their career, their motivation, and personal decisions that have brought them to the position where they are now. It is also an occasion to chat among group members about the experience of being a women in science.

Unfortunately KSETA cannot finance daycare costs arising from childcare at usual times of the day and week. But we can take on additional costs for care at off-peak times or on weekends.

Links for advanced education offers:

Links to childcare facilities:

Our email: kseta-edi∂lists.kit.edu