Career Days 2026: Power, Responsibility and Change in Science
15 Years of Female Career Days: Opening keynote on Power, Responsibility, and Change in Science.
To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Female Career Days, we kick off this year’s program with a special keynote. Lisa Niendorf will speak on “Between Dependence and Resistance: Abuse of Power in Academia.”
Power abuse, dependencies, and hierarchical structures are critical and sensitive issues in academia and higher education. Through this event, we aim to make these challenges more visible, foster open dialogue, and explore how meaningful change can be achieved.
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2026
- 4:00 p.m. Opening of the kick-off event
- 4:15 p.m. Keynote lecture by Lisa Niendorf
- 5:00 p.m. Q&A session
- 5:15 p.m. Panel Discussion with representatives from the universities, the City of Magdeburg, and the State of Saxony-Anhalt
- 6:00 p.m. Social gathering
Registration is open until October 29th, 2026.
Panel Experts:
Dr. rer. nat. Martina Beyrau: Scientific Integrity Service, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Daniela C. Dieterich: Dean and Chair of the Executive Board, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University
Dr. theol. Julia Rath, Equal Opportunities Service, Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences
Sarah Schulze, State Commissioner for Women’s and Gender Equality Policy, Saxony Anhalt
Dr. phil. Dorothea Trebesius, Office for Education and Science, City of Magdeburg
Verena Walterbach, Career Development, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg
We look forward to an open, diverse and, constructive conversation about how to make academia and higher education safer, more respectful, and truly equitable.
The program begins with a welcome address from Dr. phil. Mareike Fingerhut-Säck, Equal Opportunity Officer and Director of the Office for Equality, Diversity, and Family Affairs at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, followed by the keynote presentation by Lisa Niendorf, professor, bestselling author, and known on social media as “Frau Forschung.”
The subsequent panel will deepen the discussion and present concrete perspectives and approaches.
Katalin Varga will moderate the event. She coordinates the mentoring and coaching program for female students and early-career researchers in STEM across Saxony-Anhalt.
The discussion will address questions such as:
- How can abuse of power and boundary violations be detected early?
- What support do those affected need?
- What actions can universities and research institutions take to prevent abuse and foster a culture of respect and equality?