Equal opportunities concern us all! A conversation with the Equal Opportunities Officer at TU Braunschweig

Ulrike Wrobel has been the Central Equal Opportunities Officer at Technische Universität Braunschweig since January 2020. She was reappointed in 2025 and is now beginning her second term of office. For International Women’s Day on 8 March, we talked to her about her work, what she has achieved as Equal Opportunities Officer and what her goals are for her new term of office. 

What does equal opportunities mean to you at TU Braunschweig? 

As an educational institution, TU Braunschweig serves as a role model: equal opportunities strengthen social justice and our awareness of a fair society in the long term. They ensure that members of the TU can develop and promote their individual potential. This is essential for excellent science and productive administration. 

Equality and diversity are firmly anchored in the 2030 University Development Concept as a strategic cross-cutting issue and are integrated into all processes. Implementation requires dedicated teamwork: every manager and every team member bears responsibility in their own areas. Openness to new perspectives and a willingness to question one’s own mindset are crucial for cultural change towards an inclusive university. It’s everybody’s business – it concerns us all! 

Why is the position of Equal Opportunities Officer still important? 

As legally appointed Equal Opportunities Officers, we are an independent body at TU Braunschweig that is not bound by any instructions. We are committed to equal opportunities for all genders and offer confidential counselling on sexual harassment, discrimination, violence and abuse of power – for all status groups. There is still a lack of equal opportunities for women and men on many levels. Our task is to work towards eliminating disadvantages between the sexes. Personal exchange is important to me in order to keep the individual in mind. At the same time, equality work is a management task and requires sustainable structures. Together with the State Conference of Equal Opportunities Officers (lakog), we have created a sustainable basis for shaping the TU as a place of shared learning, working and growth. 

What have you achieved at TU so far that you are particularly proud of? 

Over the past ten years, there has been significant progress in equality, gender justice and inclusion. Comprehensive concepts for promoting and recruiting female scientists have been developed, and the proportion of women has risen steadily at all career levels. Of course, this can only be achieved as a team. Personally, I have managed to build a team that is committed to these issues. We shape the university, we provide impetus and have an impact both internally and externally – through our services and networking with numerous cooperation partners, the urban community, schools and SMEs. 

We – that is, the advisors in the Equality, Family Office and Diversity Office teams. We advise, supervise, support and professionalise intersectional equality work at TU Braunschweig. We share what we know and let others participate, which means we are a reliable team that is constantly expanding its expertise and offering it to others: sharing is caring! 

What would you like to achieve at TU Braunschweig this year and in the coming years? 

I am delighted to have been confirmed in my position as Equal Opportunities Officer last year and will use my next term of office to strengthen and further develop what has already been achieved. In addition, there is still much to be done on the way to a truly inclusive university. I have a number of plans in this regard, for example in the intersectional further development of equality work, gender-equitable digital transformation and the strengthening of career paths for women in STEM subjects. 

I will contribute to preventive measures and personally support members of our university who are affected by attacks and defamation. Living diversity – strengthening equal opportunities! We are creating the framework conditions for this. 

Social sustainability, democracy and participation are at the heart of our work: we protect equality structures and actors from attacks, take responsibility in our area of influence and are committed to the free democratic basic order and an open, inclusive university culture.

What would you like to see for TU Braunschweig in terms of equal opportunities? 

For TU Braunschweig, I would like to see the establishment of gender-equitable remuneration structures. We committed to this in the 2024 resolution of the German Rectors’ Conference. There is still work to be done in this area. 

For example, professors who are in negotiations with the TU could receive an overview of the average salaries of all professors already appointed in a defined area as a basis for data – that would be a new measure. We could also establish a transparent system of performance bonuses for service-related tasks, publish award rules and processes, and report on this regularly in selected committees. 

Successful equality work for the future of TU Braunschweig means interweaving classic equality issues with digitalisation, diversity and crisis resilience. It is important to continue breaking down structural barriers, cooperating with interfaces and working together collegially. 

We have achieved a lot, and there is still much to do. Above all, it will be challenging to secure the successes achieved so far, to continue what has been achieved and to close gaps in demand. 

What are you campaigning for on International Women’s Day? 

We must act together – what is happening now affects us all! We shape our workplace, our university, our city and take responsibility for our free and democratic constitutional order. As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, “Fight for the things you care about. But do it in a way that others will join you.” That is precisely why it is now essential to take a clear stand against anti-democratic and anti-feminist tendencies and autocratic ideologies. 

Thank you very much for the interview.