University of Mannheim Increases Number of Women Professors

Eine Dozentin schreibt etwas an eine Tafel.

In 2024, the University of Mannheim was granted EUR 712,000 for measures to promote equal opportunity and to partially fund three permanent W3 professorships as part of the competitive “Professorinnenprogramm 2030” (program for women professors 2030). Thanks to this decision, the university could appoint three additional women professors: German Studies expert Marie-Luis Merten, mathematician Simone Rademacher, and computer scientist Pooja Rani.

The funds are used for various measures to promote equal opportunity. Some of the initiatives included are the FAiR@UMA program, which supports female researchers with family commitments by providing unbureaucratic ways of obtaining research assistant funds, the resumption of the Program for Female Doctoral Students as well as counseling and support services provided by the family services.

In addition, the funding enabled the university to newly appoint three women as professors: German Studies professor Dr. Marie-Luis Merten took over the Chair of Germanic Linguistics in August 2025. Mathematician Dr. Simone Rademacher and computer scientist Dr. Pooja Rani will take up their professorships in April 2026.

Full press release

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