Events
Here you can find any information on our various networking events. Visit this website regularly to stay up to date. You will also receive out news via the website's landing page and our mailing list.
Upcoming Events
Gender Equality Office's Equalendar
Further interesting events can also be found in the Equalendar (Equality Calendar), the event calendar of the Gender Equality Office of the University of Bonn.
In the context of its work at the Univeristy of Bonn, the Gender Equality Office offers opportunities for furher education in the field of to gender equality, and informs interested persons about events and offers at the university.
Ongoing Events
Creating a safe space to network at the Uni Bonn, WHATSUB plans to establish a number of ongoing events. We will inform you on our website and via the newsletter. If you have any suggestions, questions or event recommedations, do not hesitate to send us an e-mail. We are looking forward to your participation!
Get Together
We are offering a space for loose conversation in an informal setting.
In-Person meeting
Digital Lunch Meeting
In this online event, we will exchange views on specific topics.
online
Meet and Greets
Attend on of our panel events and listen to interesting speakers.
hybrid
Past Events
Greater Solidarity Among Women Researchers
Amrei Bahr Speaks at the WHATSUB Spring Event
The University of Bonn’s network for women in science, WHATSUB, hosted its spring event on April 23, 2026, and welcomed philosopher Assistant Professor Amrei Bahr. The event focused on a discussion of the structural challenges women are facing in academia.
In her keynote address titled “Excessive Expectations: Why Female Scholars Must Always Do More—and How We Can Change That,” Amrei Bahr highlighted in particular the effects of the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act (WissZeitVG). Among other things, this law regulates the fixed-term nature of employment relationships during the academic qualification phase as well as in mid-level academic positions, thereby significantly shaping working and career conditions within the academic system.
As a co-initiator, Amrei Bahr has been involved in the #IchbinHanna campaign since 2021, which brought together researchers on Twitter to voice their criticism of the WissZeitVG. Bahr also highlighted the urgency of the issue at WHATSUB: approximately 96% of employees in academia are on fixed-term contracts. In addition, women in particular continue to face the dual burden of work and family, along with the expectation that they will manage all of this as a matter of course. These factors make planning an academic career path considerably more difficult and lead to the loss of qualified researchers at universities.
The presentation sparked a lively discussion moderated by Gabriele Alonso Rodriguez, the Central Gender Equality Officer. The consensus was that female researchers in particular want to see greater solidarity among themselves in order to establish a new culture surrounding academic career paths. This was also evident during the informal networking session over coffee and cake that followed.
This is where WHATSUB comes in—the network promotes exchange among female scientists and regularly offers opportunities to discuss exciting, current topics.
Digital Lunch Meeting
Date: November 4, 2025, 12:00 p.m. via Zoom
The first online event of the semester took place as a digital lunch meeting on the topic of ‘Essential and Evolving? Women's Networks in Academia'. We discussed the role of women’s networks in academic life and talked about WHATSUB's future. We were particularly pleased to hear your thoughts on what you hope to achieve with WHATSUB in the coming year.
Just in time for the start of the 2025/2026 winter semester, the WHATSUB women's network is back with a completely revamped website. Our new online presentation with several new features, was launched on September 30, 2025.
We look forward to welcoming new members, updating existing profile pages, and keeping you informed about news from the Bonn academic community.
We hope to see you soon at one of our events. In the meantime, get connected, create a profile, and become an active part of WHATSUB!
WHATSUB Website Launch
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
www.whatsub.uni-bonn.de
"Empowering Equality: A Workshop for Women Scientists to Address Discrimination in Academica"
panel discussion, 20. Februar 2025
On February 20th, the WHATSUB network hosted the panel discussion “Empowering Equality: A Workshop for Women Scientists to Address Discrimination in Academia” in Bonn. Around 30 participants, most of them attending in person, gathered to explore the issue of gender-based discrimination in the academic world.
The afternoon began with a warm welcome from moderator Dr. Nora Castle, head of the METRA mentoring programme. In a ten-minute video message, the event’s patron Professor Diana Imhof highlighted the many challenges women face in academic settings. This was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion featuring Dr. Maria Steffens (psychologist), Professor Helmut Löhr (Dean of the Faculty of Protestant Theology), and Gabriele Alonso Rodriguez (Central Equal Opportunities Officer). The conversation focused on the impact of discrimination on everyday university life, the need for a respectful and supportive culture, and the importance of intersectional perspectives.
Participants, including those joining online, then took part in small-group breakout sessions to discuss the issues in more depth. Their key insights and ideas were later shared with the whole group and debated with the panel. A lively Q&A session gave space for an open exchange between audience members and experts.
The event concluded with an informal get‑together over coffee and snacks, offering participants the chance to network and connect on a personal level.
Overall, the panel served as a valuable platform to raise awareness of inequalities in academia and to develop concrete ideas for fostering gender equality at universities. Looking ahead, the WhatsUB network aims to strengthen its presence through a newly designed website and to continue promoting dialogue on these important issues.
Contact
Max Wolfsperger M.A.
Freya Peez