Krefeld/Mönchengladbach. The Hochschule Niederrhein ranks second among universities of applied sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia in terms of gender equality. This means that the ranking from 2019 has been maintained. This is according to the Gender Report 2022 of the NRW Women's and Gender Research Network at North Rhine-Westphalian universities.

The main reason for the good ranking is the high proportion of women among students and full-time academic and artistic personnel. The Hochschule Niederrhein, together with the Hochschule für Gesundheit (University of Health), is one of the only universities of applied sciences with more than 50% women among its full-time academic and artistic personnel. The Hochschule Niederrhein is even 15.7 percentage points above the state average in this area.

In the status group of female professors, The Hochschule Niederrhein was able to rise from 8th place in 2017 to 7th place in 2020 in the group of universities of applied sciences. With a share of 27.9% of professorships held by women, it is just above the NRW average (26.9%).

Among students, the university achieves gender parity (51.6% women). More women than men study only at the Bochum University of Health (83.8 percent).

In terms of individual subject groups, The Hochschule Niederrhein stands out in the "Engineering Sciences" group. Statewide, it is one of three universities whose proportion of women is close to the 40 percent mark and thus significantly exceeds the state average of 23.9 percent. This is due in particular to the engineering faculties of Textile and Clothing Technology and Oecotrophology, where the proportion of women is over 70 percent.

The university's management bodies do not present a uniform picture. The university council has equal representation. One of the four members of the Presidential Board has been female since the end of last year. The heads of the faculties are all male, but are supported by a high proportion of female studies deans and vice deans. Only two of the five divisions in the administration are headed by women. In the Senate, the percentage of female senators is 54.2%, well above the state average, and has increased by nearly 13% since 2019. "There is still work to be done, but we are on our way," said Dr. Sandra Laumen, Equal Opportunity Officer at The Hochschule Niederrhein.

With the 2022 report, the gender report of the NRW Women's and Gender Research Network looks at the proportions of women and men at the state's 37 universities for the fifth time.