RMA Breakfast: ERC CZ
Doc. Hana Macháčková presented her PACC project at the RMA breakfast and introduced the ERC CZ grant scheme as an alternative for researchers.
Gender and the Academic Workplace: Workshop and Mentoring
Academia still faces significant gender inequalities, especially in terms of women's representation in leadership positions. A workshop led by Lynn Nygaard from the Peace Research Institute Oslo discussed the causes of these inequalities as well as concrete steps to improve the situation. The event also included one-to-one mentoring, which offered practical support to female academics in their professional development.
Lynn Nygaard from the Peace Research Institute Oslo visited Masaryk University during the week of 17-21 March. She works there as an expert advisor and is professionally involved in academic writing as well as topics related to gender balance in the academic environment.
A workshop on gender challenges in academia was held on Wednesday 19 March, followed by mentoring of selected female academics. The aim of the workshop was to identify the barriers that women and men face in the academic environment and provide them with the tools to overcome them. Mentoring focused on individual support and professional development of female academics.
During the morning workshop, the imbalance between men and women in senior academic positions was discussed. The research presented showed that although women have a similar chance of reaching these positions as men, it takes them longer to get there. This is often due to the heavier load of other academic activities and subjects they have to master before applying for promotion. It has also been pointed out that women have less space to do their own research due to stereotypical family and relationship roles and administrative duties, which affects their ability to publish and advance their careers.
Based on these findings, specific actions were recommended to improve conditions, including mentoring, career development support, and institutionalization of writing activities. Implementing these measures could help to close the gap in research and academic publishing opportunities.
The workshop was followed by individual mentoring sessions during which Lynn Nygaard worked with four female academics. Together they addressed their professional challenges and looked for ways to develop their careers effectively.
Gender inequalities in academia not only impact on the careers of individuals, but also on the overall quality and diversity of research. Events such as this workshop and mentoring are therefore important to create a more balanced environment where talent and professional skills play a greater role than gender stereotypes. Universities and academic institutions should actively support such initiatives and work on systemic solutions to improve the working conditions of all academics.
