Diversity and inclusion

Fostering equal opportunities: Gender Equality Plan
ARI Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG), from left: Nunzia Di Luise, Gender Equality Officer; Daniel Arens, Senior Project Leader Preclinical Services; Claudia Barblan, Manager Administrative Services; Bettina Brühlmann, Senior HR Business Partner; Maximilian Heumann, PhD student Biomedical Development; Nora Goudsouzian, Focus Area Leader Tissue Morphology; Elena Della Bella, Research Scientist Regenerative Orthopaedics; Martin Stoddart, Program Leader Regenerative Orthopaedics; Marco Chittó, Postdoc Regenerative Orthopaedics; Sibylle Grad, Focus Area Leader Disc and Cartilage Biology; Geoff Richards, ARI Director; Maria Hildebrand, Project Leader Preclinical Services; Ulrich Bentz, Quality Management and Procurement.

In January 2022, the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) established an ARI Gender Equality Working Group (ARI GEWG) to adopt a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) 2023–25.

It covers five areas of content recommended by the European Commission, and its objectives are formulated on the basis of an audit conducted at ARI, including an ARI employee survey, sex-disaggregated data collection, analysis of existing policies in the institute, and a review of solutions used in research institutes around the globe.

Its primary objective is to ensure that ARI is an inclusive working environment that respects equality and diversity, where everyone feels free from discrimination and has the same opportunities for career advancement. ARI has planned several measures for promoting equal opportunities. You can find them in the ARI Gender Equality Plan 2023–25. You can also find the first year's report here.

Learn more about the AO's diversity, inclusion, and mentorship programs developed with AO Access.

What has been done so far

Gender equality awareness-raising workshop
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In February and March 2023, two workshops (in English and German) were held for the staff of ARI. The workshops were led by Nunzia Di Luise, the Gender Equality Officer at ARI, and Judith Baumberger, HR partner at AO Foundation. The main aim of the workshops was to provide the participants with facts, evidence, and arguments related to gender equality. The workshops were designed to increase awareness and knowledge about gender equality, with a particular focus on research and innovation.

Unconscious bias workshop

 

In March 2023, Tatjana Topalovic, Senior Program Manager of Diversity, Inclusion, and Mentorship at AO Foundation, and Nunzia Di Luise, the Gender Equality Officer at ARI, organized a workshop for ARI employees in leadership positions. The workshop was designed to be highly interactive with small groups discussing selected biases. The aim was to help participants learn more about the topic of diversity and reflect on their attitudes towards it in the workplace.

 

Researchers Beer at Kulturplaz Davos

 

On March 7, 2023, Academia Raetica and ARI organized a Researchers Beer event at Kulturplatz Davos with Sara Dolf-Metzler, Head of Diversity at Fachhochschule Graubünden. The event featured a comprehensive discussion on several topical issues, such as how to create a more diverse and inclusive working environment and overcome stereotypes.

Photo credit: Academia Raetica

Inspiring female scientists from ARI's network

 

In November 2023, the first edition of "Inspiring Female Scientists from ARI’s Network" was held. Professor Ilse Jonkers, the Director of iSi Health at KU Leuven Institute for Physics-Based Modeling for In Silico Health, shared her successful career journey as a female scientist. She discussed her motivations, values, and how she overcame obstacles throughout her career. The initiative's goal is to connect early-stage female researchers with successful female scientists, motivate and inspire them to continue their careers in science, and build a professional and mentoring network of peers.