GEOMAR shows colours for the German Diversity Day 2022

International cooperation and diversity in research – these are the strengths that GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is focusing on for the German Diversity Day 2022. For this purpose, an internal survey was conducted to determine how many different nations the employees at the institute come from. Almost a quarter of all people come from countries other than Germany. The results were visualized on a world map. In this approach, cultural diversity represents the basic idea of science, to combine different approaches and experiences in order to find innovative solutions for current and future local and global challenges.   May 31, 2022 marks the tenth anniversary of the German Diversity Day. It stands for the topic of diversity in working world and was launched by the non-profit association "Charta der Vielfalt e. V." (Charter of Diversity). The aim is to promote recognition, appreciation and diversity in the working world. GEOMAR has been a member since October 2021.
 
"The global nature of marine research requires international collaborations," says Prof. Katja Matthes, Director of GEOMAR. "The international pool of thinkers at GEOMAR not only supports our academic excellence, but also constitutes an important element for capacity development around the globe. "
 
"Equality and diversity are core European values. Accordingly, everyone has a right to fair and equal treatment, regardless of their ethnic origin, nationality, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities or other characteristics," says Dr. Başak Kisakürek Ibsen, science coordinator with a focus on internationalization.
 
"The next step for GEOMAR is to establish a diversity board, a kind of executive committee responsible for diversity issues, in fall 2022," adds Nikole Lorenz, a member of the Gender Equality and Diversity team in the Directorate. "This board will serve as a think tank to drive the development of a vision on diversity at the Institute. It will also establish a diversity management program with a mission to promote and leverage the social, cultural and ethnic diversity of employees for the benefit of the organization. A diverse and inclusive work culture at GEOMAR enables our employees to fully realize their capabilities and supports their creativity and productivity," Ms. Lorenz concludes.
 
The Equality and Diversity team includes Frauke Horstmann, Başak Kısakürek Ibsen and Nikole Lorenz. They have been supporting gender mainstreaming and diversity management at GEOMAR since November 2021. The visual representation of diversity for the Day of Action is embedded in the general diversity work at the institute.