The LMU community is characterized by diversity in research, teaching and studies, and administration. LMU fosters an environment in which all members can contribute with their talents and in which respect, appreciation and support are lived.
At MGSE, we understand that informal knowledge can be key to success in Academia. To promote inclusivity and provide equal opportunities, we asked our professors to share their best practices for different topics. Each week, we sent out a summary of expert insights on a specific topic, empowering all students to reach their full potential. Topics included and how to structure a work idea, when to kill research ideas and how to address self-doubts.
Mentoring is an essential component of academic success. This is particularly true for female and non-binary PhD students, who often face additional barriers and challenges in academia. To level the playing field, we try to provide additional mentoring for PhD students at MGSE that is unrelated to the mentoring they receive from their advisors. Mentoring can be from internal or external faculty. Recent mentors include Erina Ytsma (Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University) and Claudia Steinwender (LMU).
As the Women's Representative at the department, I feel fortunate to have grown up with a supportive community that allowed me to pursue education, explore my interests, and make my own career choices. However, as I progressed through my education, I realized that not everyone has the same opportunities and experiences. That's why I'm dedicated to advancing gender equality in the field of economics through my involvement as the Women’s Representative and as a volunteer in the Women in Economics Initiative.
Since joining the Women in Economics Initiative in 2020, I have organized more than 35 online events and have become the host of the Women in Economics Podcast. My goal is to collect inspiring career stories of senior female economists, encourage open discussions, and provide the much-needed support for our members. The mentoring program has been especially important to me as it helped me connect with outstanding female economists who supported my career and choices.
As part of my role as Women's Representative, I am working with a fantastic team to make the department more inclusive and pleasant for everyone. We aim to attract more female, non-binary, and international colleagues to foster diversity of thought and new research avenues. In light of the past year's challenges, we're focusing on mental health, burnout, stress management, and creating a safe and inclusive working environment. We're already planning a series of events to address these issues and provide support to our colleagues. Finally, we plan to focus on mentoring and knowledge transfer to younger generations to foster their growth and development.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I'm grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this department and advance gender equality in our field.
Women are historically under-included groups are under-represented at our department. We recognize that we are responsible for promoting the advancement of under-included groups at all levels.
“It is no secret that the economics profession suffers from a profound lack of diversity.”
American Economic Association, 2020
These documents reports the share of women at the different hierarchical levels and whenever possible the share of non-Germans at our department. If available, we provide figures for comparisons (from within the LMU or the discipline). Furthermore, we provide information about measures taken in the previous year that aim to enhance diversity at our department. Additionally, we summarize the main results of the annual PhD Survey and we conclude with a brief outlook on planned measures.