On November 12, 2024, the kick-off event of the dialog forum “Diversity creates knowledge: Every voice counts” took place at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in Berlin. Maren Weissig, Equal Opportunities Officer, took part on our behalf. The opening dialog and the subsequent workshops brought together experts from research, political decision-makers, managers from science, people from science administrations and other interest groups from the scientific staff.

The forum serves as a platform to strengthen plurality in science and actively supports the development of inclusive career pathways. It aims to be a space for exchange and dialogue, generating momentum for a more diverse academic landscape. In this context, diversity-sensitive strategies and practices within educational and research institutions are discussed, with the goal of fostering equal opportunities and sustainable social inclusion.

The objective is to shape a participation culture sensitive to diversity and promote an open discourse in the scientific landscape. However, some aspects of diversity, such as age or East-West German biographies, were not addressed on this occasion. We participated to represent all doctoral candidates across Germany. Through our involvement we also underscored the federal associations commitment to diversity and inclusion within the academic system. It is important to ensure the incorporation of the doctoral candidate’s perspective into these forward-thinking dialogues.