Questions regarding gender equality in science have special relevance in “Horizon 2020”, the new EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. To highlight the importance of these issues, the European Commission has recently published the Vademecum on Gender Equality in Horizon 2020 as a practical guidance on the application of the new Gender Equality provisions in the implementation of Horizon 2020. The main novelty in this respect is integrating Gender Equality issues as a horizontal dimension at each stage of the research cycle: from programming through implementation, monitoring and programme evaluation. This vision support the formulation of the three objectives aiming to improve Gender Equality in research projects funded by the EU Framework Programme, namely: Fostering gender balance in Horizon 2020 research teams, in order to address the gaps in the participation of women in the Framework Programme’s projects; Ensuring gender balance in decision-making, in order to reach the Commission’s target of 40% of the under-represented sex in panels and groups (50% for advisory Groups); Integrating gender/sex analysis in research and innovation (R&I) content, which help increasing the scientific quality and societal relevance of the produced knowledge, technology and/or innovation. (Read more here). At the UAIC Centre for Gender Equality in Science a special team meeting was dedicated for studying the document guidelines and discussing their applications in the UAIC research activity.

Our university has received the logo "Human Resources Excellence in Research" which is conferred by the European Commission to the research institutions that implement the principles of the European Charter for Researchers and the Code of Conduct for their Recruitment in their policies and practices. According to the EC "Human Resources Strategy for Researchers" (HRS4R), by gaining this logo within a multi-staged evaluation process, an institution is identified as a provider and supporter of a stimulating and favourable working environment for researchers. (read more). Since the adoption of the Commission Recommendation on the Charter & Code in 2005, over 1200 institutions from 35 countries in Europe and abroad have expressed their explicit support for the principles of these policy and normative documents and about 180 have obtained the Commission's "HR Excellence in Research" badge. By obtaining the logo, UAIC has received at the same time the acknowledgement that its regulations and practices are in alignment with the European values of Ethics, Freedom and Transparency and the principles of “Human Resources Excellence in Research”. Among these principles the promoting of Gender Equality in Science is also assumed as a priority concern, so as it is explicitly written both in the UAIC Evaluation Report and in the Action Plan for the next two years (for more information ).

The UAIC team has contributed at the Mid-term Research Report prepared to be submitted to the DG Research and Innovation at the end of this month. Our main contribution is a preliminary study on a cross-cutting issue faced by all the STAGES partners who implement self-tailored action plans within the framework of STAGES project: the choice of an appropriate strategy for structural changes in order to achieve the objectives of improving gender equality in science in their organizations. The research concluded, based on interviews and documents analysis, that the dilemma “cooperation paradigm” vs. “conflict paradigm” is a relevant question that could determine the real effectiveness of gender programmes.in various organizational contexts of the research institutions (see the text).

The international programme “For Women in Science”, based on the collaboration between UNESCO and L’Oréal, offers grants and awards to exceptional women scientists in the field of life sciences around the globe. Founded in 1998 on the premise that ‘the world needs science and science needs women’, the programme is designed to promote a greater participation of women in science, by recognising their contributions and awarding promising women scientists with fellowships to help them further their research. Since 2009 the programme is also functional in Romania and offers national grants for the young researchers under 35 years old, who are either PhD candidates or post-doctoral fellows in a Romanian university. More information about the 5th edition of this programme in Romania read on cnr-unesco.ro.
One of the Romanian laureate of the grants UNESCO-L’Oréal is Dr. Alina Ghineț, who studied at the Faculty of Chemistry of the UAIC, where she has obtained her BS and MA degrees and then continued PhD studies in Medicinal Chemistry at the Lille University from France. Recently, she was also awarded by the UAIC- STAGES project within the European Women Researchers Day. On this occasion, Dr. Alina Ghineț gave us an interview about her remarkable achievements and the importance of the grants UNESCO-L’Oréal in the professional development of young researchers’ career. ( read here the interview).

Dr. Emilia Moroșan is one of the numerous young women researchers who started their scientific formation at the UAIC and then developed a successful scientific career abroad. After graduating with a BS in Physics from the UAIC in 1999, she got her PhD in Physics from Iowa State University (USA) in 2005, and then moved on to a postdoctoral position at Princeton University. Today, Emilia Morosan is an Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, and Chemistry at Rice University (USA). Prof. Moroșan’s research focuses on materials design and discovery, with particular interests in itinerant magnetism, superconductivity, heavy fermions and quantum criticality. For her scientific activity, she received several early career awards, including the ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist and Engineers (PECASE), offered by the USA President Barack Obama, and the NSF CAREER. Invited to give a conference on her current research, Dr. Moroșan had also a meeting with young researchers, PhD and MA students from Physics Department of the UAIC, who were interested to learn more about her road to success in science.

Integrated in the two-days programme of the 1st International Conference “Perspectives in the Humanities and Social Sciences: Hinting at Interdisciplinarity”, that took place at the UAIC on 23-24 May 2014, the workshop entitled “Career Development Opportunities for Young Researchers” was also an occasion to meet some UAIC professors and researchers who have been involved in international projects and have shared their experiences. Among the speakers, Prof. dr. Liliana Mitoseriu presented COST programme, Prof. dr. Cecilia Arsene referred to Marie Curie Actions, Prof. dr. Ionel Mangalagiu spoke about the international cooperation with Republic of Moldova, and Dr. Ionut Topala gave information on “The Researchers Night” event. Prof. dr. Doina Balahur, coordinator of the FP7 Project STAGES at the UAIC presented the European programmes of Gender Equality in Science. The debates were introduced by Elena Radu, Head of Research and Projects Management Department, and coordinated by Prof. dr. Dumitru Luca, Vice-rector, responsible for research programmes at the UAIC.

For a new generation of master students who have graduated and obtained their MA degree, at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences there is a tradition to be organized a last course, beyond the academic curriculum, but scrutinizing the links between the school and society. This course is about the perspectives open by the competences and skills gained during the University studies and their correlation with the workplaces demand in the labour market, that is about graduates’ future professional careers. This year, the graduates of the European Master on Children’s Rights as well as of the MA programme Probation, Mediation, and Protection of the Victims of Crime, discussed about career opportunities in social research, social work activities and justice system with their professors: Dr. Doina Balahur (Sociology and Social Work Department), Dr. Snejana Sulima (Faculty of Law), Drd. Niculina Karaksony (Deputy Director at the Social Work and Child Rights Protection Iasi), Dr. Diana Nastac (Probation Counselor) and Dr. Cătălin Luca (Director of Social Alternatives Association).

The Conference organized by the European Platform of Women Scientists (EPWS) had this year the title “New perspectives for Women Scientists Careers in Europe”. After the opening speech given by Genevieve Fiorasco, French Minister in charge of Higher Education and Research, two presentation sessions have been held. The first one, on Gender in the new European Framework Programmes Horizon 2020, was chaired by Yvonne Pourrat (CDEFI), and included presentations by Elisabeth Morin-Chartier (Member of the European Parliament, President of the European Union of Women), Viviane Willis-Mazzichi (Head of Sector “Gender”, European Commission, DG Research and Innovation), Nadine Heller- Genath (Contact Point Women into EU Research) and also of the representatives of current gender-related EU projects: Anne Pepin (INTEGER), Maxime Forest (EGERA), Anne-Sophie Godfroy (GENDER TIME), Ilenia Picardi (GENOVATE) and Marino Di Nardo (STAGES). The second session, focused on Up-skilling Women Scientists Careers – European and French Perspectives, has been chaired by Claudine Hermann (EPWS), and shared contributions of Nicky Le Feuvre (University of Lausanne), Marie Baudry de Vaux (IRD), Marie-Stephane Pefferkorn (Airbus Group), Collette Guillope (Paris Est-Creteil University), Helene Fueger (University of Fribourg) and others. After the end of the Conference, the EPWS members have participated at the General Assembly of this European organization that has been set up in 2005. (Read more here).

The research programmes and grants offered by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany) for the Romanian academics and researchers have been presented at the UAIC by Ruxandra Cosma, associate professor at the University of Bucharest, scientific ambassador of the Humboldt Foundation for Romania. The goal of the Humboldt research stages is to stimulate the excellence in research and to set up research networks involving researchers and academics, post-doctoral fellows and PhD candidates who are in the final stage of their PhD thesis preparation. It is noteworthy that women are encouraged to apply for the Humboldt grants being notorious the fact that the Humboldt Foundation campaigns for equal opportunities for men and women in research, particularly with regard to young families. (More details here).

The documentary exhibition “UAIC – A Place for Women in Science” has been organized by the UAIC-STAGES project and the UAIC Centre for Gender Equality in Science in the famous space named “the Hall of Echoing Footsteps” (Sala Pasilor Pierduti).The exhibition reflects, like a public mirror, the activities and events held at the UAIC on the last 30 months period under the aegis of the European Project STAGES in order to promote gender equality in science. The themes of the 24 panels that gather more than 250 documents and photos are correlated with the main objectives of the UAIC-STAGES Action Plan and illustrate the setting up of new institutional structures and practices, the organizing of public events and scientific workshops, training sessions and many other activities aiming to make more visible the scientific achievements and social responsibilities of the women academics and researchers from the UAIC. In their introductory discourses, Prof. Dr, Vasile Isan, the Rector of the University, and Prof. Dr. Doina Balahur the coordinator of the UAIC-STAGES project, have highlighted the significance of this documentary exhibition that shows the European development of our academic community in accordance with EC gender equality policy and programmes. The varnishing event has been attended by more than 50 professors and researchers, managers and administrative staff, PhD students and post-doctoral fellows. The exhibition will be open in the interval 23 June-11 July 2014. (see photos gallery on the page home).

A TV report about the documentary exhibition “UAIC – A Place for Women in Science” at the UAIC was broadcast on TV Regional Iasi a short time after the opening day. The report has been produced by journalists from TVR Iasi/ the Romanian National Broadcasting Company – Branch Iasi. The images have been taken at the varnishing event and the accompanying commentary gave information about the relevance of the exhibition for the UAIC academic community. In the photos above: some moments from the preparation of the TV report, the interviews with Prof. Dr. Vasile Isan, the Rector of UAIC, Prof. Dr. Dumitru Luca, Vice-rector of the UAIC and Prof. Dr Doina Balahur, coordinator of the STAGES project at the UAIC, the organizer of the exhibition.