Berlin University Alliance

Run successfully by Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin since 2004, the ProFiL Programme supports high-achieving women researchers pursuing a professorship. With this programme, the three cooperating universities are committed to excellence- and gender equality-oriented academic personnel development.

Funded by the Berlin University Alliance, the number of ProFiL places was further increased from 36 to 66 and the programme was supplemented by an English-language line tailored to the requirements of international women researchers.

By combining mentoring, seminars and training sessions on issues of specific interest to academics with strategic networking, the ProFiL Programme promotes the career development of its participants. For a period of one year, they receive support to further develop their careers and prepare them for the professorial leadership and management tasks that arise in the context of current forms of higher education management.

As the interim balance shows, numerous participants have already been appointed to professorships in Germany and abroad. In addition, ProFiL alumnae take on responsibility for a future-proof development of the higher education and science system as (vice) presidents or (pro-) rectors of universities and as directors of non-university research institutes and academies and are committed to an academic culture that is focused on excellence and equality.

The ProFiL Programme is regularly evaluated in order to ensure a continuous quality assurance. In all previous evaluations, the programme received very good ratings and is firmly recommended by alumnae.

Target Groups:

• Scholars with a habilitation

• Habilitation candidates

• Junior professors

• Leaders of junior research groups

• Postdocs

who are based at Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin as well as Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB) and who pursue a professorship. International English-speaking researchers based at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin may apply for the English programme line.

With the ProFiL Programme, the cooperating universities aim to overcome obstacles that women in academia still face and to implement modern methods of leadership development. The targeted promotion of women researchers contributes to increasing the proportion of women holding professorships. Commitment to strategies promoting diversity and equal opportunities is thus not only a matter of social justice, but also an important principle of higher education policy and a success factor for competitiveness.