Creating Equal Playing Fields

How to Foster International Competitiveness Through Better Gender Balance in Research and Higher Education

Creating equal playing fields for men and women in research and higher education institutions can be seen as a major trigger for research and higher education institutions around the world in different respects, such as the global race for talents, international acquisition of research funding as well as for the improvement of research outcomes and impacts. This article outlines what is actually at stake when we talk about the participation of women in international research and higher education and related careers. It also explores how more women could be retained in research and to what extent appraisal and recruitment procedures need to be altered in order to comply with international standards and thereby to better acknowledge individual achievements, circumstances and experiences. Another focal point concerns measures and structures allowing for a better reconciliation of work and private life, an aspect of increasing importance for research and highere ducation institutions aiming at attracting the best potentials worldwide. Eventually, the question concerning which mechanisms could sustainably induce institutional and cultural change to improve the career opportunities for women will be raised.