Anti-discrimination work at the H-BRS

Special Anti-Discrimination Commission

The President's Office established a "Special Anti-Discrimination Commission" in June 2023. This commission should first get a picture, take stock of the allegations of discrimination as well as anti-discrimination measures and contact points in case of discrimination. It will submit a report to the President's Office in the near future. With the help of the findings, the university's diversity system will then be further developed. The Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, Professor Jürgen Bode, has assumed the chair of this commission.

The tasks and goals of the Special Anti-Discrimination Commission are as follows:

• Survey of a status quo on allegations of discrimination and the current state of the diversity system.
• Analysis and assessment of discrimination cases, preventive measures as well as principles, rules and processes of the diversity system.
• Formulation of proposals for the improvement of the diversity system on the organisational and procedural level as well as improvement of preventive measures.

Members of the Commission:

Prof. Dr. Jürgen Bode, Sarah Friedrichs, Dr. Barbara Hillen-Haas, Guido Krause, Birgit Henn, Diana Strasser, Prof. Dr. Peter Muck, Dr. Rita Cornely, Iman Awaad, Najat Bounif, Prof. Dr. Kerstin Rosenow-Williams, Masharika Zamil, Christin Heister, Prof. Dr. Karim Fereidooni

Presidential Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism

The President's Office has appointed a Presidential Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism. Sarah Friedrichs, the Head of Diversity Management, will take over the office. She is to strengthen the diversity and anti-discrimination work of the H-BRS, improve the structure of the contact points and be the contact person for students as well as employees.

The tasks of the Presidential Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism are:

• Strengthening the diversity and anti-discrimination work of the H-BRS
• Improving the contact point structure
• Developing a process to improve the handling of allegations of discrimination
• Advising the Presidential Board and other committees
• Contact person for students and employees
• Development of anti-discrimination measures
• Development and management of measures to support and empower the contact points in cases of discrimination, including counselling and supervision
• Exchange with legal representatives

External counselling centres for victims of discrimination

• Overview of anti-discrimination counselling in the region
• Search for counselling centres in NRW (ADA NRW)
• Search for counselling centres of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency
• Victim protection organisations (Ministry of Justice NRW)
• Victim protection portal (State of NRW)

This section will be continuously expanded.