BIO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee

At BIO DEI, we strive to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment. We aim to support unique experiences and perspectives of all individuals regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, age, ethnicity, and cultural background. Our commitment is to promote policies and initiatives to promote respect, fairness, and sense of belonging in the Department.

Our Focus
The BIO DEI committee has, to date, typically focused on issues of gender inequality, as Denmark currently ranks among the poorest performing countries in Europe in terms of female representation in academia as highlighted by the EU Commission.
We are expanding our scope to take up other pressing issues, such as the feeling of inclusion among international staff and students. These initiatives fall under the broader mandate with the University of Copenhagen’s ‘Action plan for gender, equality, and diversity 2018-2024’:

HR Excellence in Research

Action plan for researchers 2018-2024


Initiatives and Progress
In 2023, BIO DEI coordinated a survey in collaboration with an external consultant. This survey revealed areas of gender disparity, in particular:
1. Gender Differences in Career Support
2. Inequal Access to Networks and Collaborations


BIO leadership's commitment
The BIO-leadership strongly endorse our committee's recommendations to actively pursue DEI initiatives. These include:

  • Continuation of our efforts via 4 transformative workshops organized by "It is a bird"
  • Introduction of a mandatory DEI training course across the Department
  • Increasing Visibility and Transparency through various initiatives


Current progress
BIO DEI believes that transparency is a vital step towards achieving our DEI goals. We will thus work with the leadership to present up-to-date statistics on gender and diversity staffing in the Department.

Professors

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 28% female, represented by blue, and 72% male, represented by orange.

Associate professors

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 29% female, represented by blue, and 71% male, represented by orange.

Tenured and non-tenured assistant professors

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 38% female, represented by blue, and 62% male, represented by orange.

New faculty recruits (2015-2026)

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 48% female, represented by blue, and 52% male, represented by orange.

Postdocs

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 47% female, represented by blue, and 53% male, represented by orange.

Employed PhD students

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 65% female, represented by blue, and 35% male, represented by orange.

Professor promotions 2015-2024

Pie chart comparing gender values: blue Female is 38%, while orange Male is 62%.

Enrollment in UCPH professor promotion program 2023-2026

Pie chart showing gender distribution: 50% female, represented by blue, and 50% male, represented by orange.

Danish/non-Danish faculty

Pie chart showing national distribution: 75% Danish, represented by blue, and 35% Non-Danish, represented by orange.

Note: While these gender data are current binned in two binary categories (male, female), we recognize that binary categories are not optimal and will aim for a more representative depiction in the future.


Resources
BIO DEI also aims to provide resources for those seeking information about the University and Department’s DEI policies:


Who are we?
Asscociate professor Ida Moltke - ida@bio.ku.dk
Asscociate professor Kathrin Rousk - kathrin.rousk@bio.ku.dk
Professor Per Juel Hansen - PJHansen@bio.ku.dk
Associate professor Julien Colombani - julien.colombani@bio.ku.dk
Tenure-track Assistant professor Jana Isanta-Navarro - jana.isanta-navarro@bio.ku.dk
Head of Department Niels Kroer - nk@bio.ku.dk

We want to hear from you
Please let us know by email if there are pressing DEI issues that require attention!