Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander, Alexandra Rhiner and Michel Rudin | 10:00 – 10:30 | online | German

After ten years of research and collaboration with industry partners at the University of St.Gallen, what have we achieved in the last decade? What questions and challenges will remain over the next decade?

Together with Alexandra Rhiner from We Advance and Michel Rudin from Swiss Diversity, we will discuss these questions at the kick-off event and launch the anniversary D&I week online.

Dr. Nilima Chowdhury | 10:30 – 11:15 | online | German

Why is the burden on women still so much greater than that on men? And do we really take on all these demands – career, family, sport, relationships – as willingly as we often believe? Does this perfectionism that we women like to hold up as an ideal actually correspond to our “nature”?

Prof. Dr. Gudrun Sander, Vera Wemmie, Marc Maurer, Karin Peer and Christina Sandau-Jensen | Panel| 10:30 – 12:00 | German

What impact do specialised continuing education programmes have for specific target groups such as migrants or young women? How can they succeed, and what role do companies play in this?

Dr. Anna-Katrin Heydenreich | Workshop | 10:30 – 12:00 | German 

• How can we identify and bring awareness to subtle forms of sexism?
• What options do we have to counter the various forms of sexism?
• How do we create a shared learning space, even when sexism is not perceived the same way by everyone?

In this workshop, we explore the spectrum from subtle to overt forms of sexism through concrete case studies in workplace and educational contexts. These forms of sexism can have their greatest impact precisely when they go unrecognized or are accepted as normal. We practice identifying the various forms of sexism and work through the options available to us for challenging them.

Dr. Ines Hartmann, Jérémie Fleury, David Frey | Workshop | 10:30 – 12:00 | German

What progress has the banking sector made on gender diversity over the past ten years? Which decisions have had a lasting impact – and where do open questions remain? How do banks assume corporate responsibility, and what role do Arbeitgeber Banken and the cooperation with the CCDI play in this context?

Drawing on a unique benchmarking data set, we explore what trends and analyses reveal about progress and untapped potential. What is the practical value for banks? And what future lies ahead for the program “Together for Inclusion in Banking”?

Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich and Dr. Gabriele Schambach | Workshop | 10:30 – 12:00 | German

Building on yesterday, acting today to shape tomorrow: How can male leaders drive gender equality?

In line with the title of this Diversity & Inclusion Week, this session is all about Then, Now, and Next: gender equality in companies and public administrations has been, still is, and will continue to be a goal.

In this workshop, research findings as well as consulting experience from companies and public administrations gathered by Leader for Equality will provide the basis for raising and answering these questions.

Panel | 13:30 – 14:30  | TBD

Yves Hoffmann | Workshop | 14:45 – 16:15  | German

Why are leading silicon valley firms actively hiring people with disabilities whilst it feels like a purely social topic for many of us here in Europe?

Why have inclusive companies historically outperformed their peers yet few CEO agendas talk about disability inclusion as a strategic priority?

And what can all of this teach companies in the age of AI to set themselves up for future success?

Deana Gariup, Sabine Lehner and Dr. Ines Hartmann | Insight to Impact session | 14:45 – 16:15  | German

Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming the world of work – but not all employees and roles are affected equally. Initial findings suggest that gender and age differences, as well as contextual factors, play an important role.

In this Insight to Impact session, we share findings from a joint project by the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability and Inclusion at the University of St. Gallen and the SBB Digitalisation Fund, highlighting the opportunities and risks AI transformation creates for different groups.

Dr. Anna Brzykcy and Dr. Damiano Urbinello | Workshop | 14:45 – 16:15  | Englisch

Betty Business | Workshop | 14:45 – 16:15  | German

Human skills like creativity, curiosity, leadership & social influence and resilience will play a crucial role in the AI-era. The problem: Decades of corporate culture have normed and deformed our human skills.

In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how we can unlearn our normed business performance and strengthen our human skills in a playful and embodied way – by wondering who we’d be as a drag queen.

Join Betty Business for a powerful and queer approach to AI upskilling that is truly transformative.

Dr. Florian Krause | 10:00 – 10:45 | online | English

Prof. Dr. Mascha Kurpicz-Briki | 11:15 – 12:00 | online | German

 AI can not only reflect societal biases but also amplify them, raising important risks in real-world use. The Horizon Europe project BIAS explores how such biases can be detected and mitigated in HR applications and language models.

Dr. Rose Wangui Kimotho | 15:15 – 16:00 | online | English

Diversity in leadership is important — but real impact happens across the entire supply chain. How can companies ensure fair wages, protect workers’ rights, and create accountability where it matters most?

Dr. Xiaoxu Zhang | 10:00 – 10:45 | online | English

Are you aware of the “think crisis, think female” association?
Based on your experience, do you think that organizations tend to prefer female over male candidates for leadership positions in times of crisis?
What do you think of high-risk leadership assignments in crisis-stricken organizations?

Do you think they will be disruptive for women’s career development or rather good opportunities to train and demonstrate leadership competencies?

Celina Heiniger | 11:00 – 11:45 | online | German

Dr. Caroline Morbach and Dr. Ines Hartmann | 15:30 – 16:15 | online | German

How equitable are career opportunities in cardiology in Germany? What gender differences exist in terms of career progression, career satisfaction and perceptions of promotion processes? What measures could help to achieve greater equity?

In this online session, you will gain interesting insights into the latest findings from a member survey conducted by the German Society of Cardiology, which examines the structural and personal factors that influence career progression.

Christina Sontheim-Leven, Bettina Weiguny, Dr. Gabriele Schambach and Prof. Dr. Julia Nentwich | 10:00 – 11:00 | online | German

Dr. Alejandro Betancor and Andrea Waser | 11:15 – 12:00 | online | German

How can the potential of gender and sexual diversity be effectively leveraged for organizational success?

How can organizations in Switzerland and across Europe succeed in including the full spectrum of gender and sexual diversity in a comprehensive, genuine, and appreciative way?

What role can an LGBTI label play in making diversity in relation to gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation visible, measurable, and sustainably embedded?

In this workshop, participants will jointly explore how this potential can be realized with the help of the LGBTI label.