No. 112/2021

means different things in different countries. We should think of diversity in terms of com- prehensive variety and be guided by that. And we want to get better at doing that. Where do you think there is room for improvement? In our award programmes, for example, women are under-represented. And, as in the case of the Humboldt Professorship for exam- ple, Germany’s most valuable research award, there are hardly any researchers from coun- tries outside of Europe and North America. You could of course argue that our network merely ref lects what is unfortunately the general representation of certain groups in research. We all know about the “glass ceil- ing” which, for many women, means the end of their chances of advancement in science. We are also concerned when we read of sur- veys like that of 1,000 physical scientists work- ing in the United Kingdom of whom 30 per- cent had experienced discrimination in the workplace because of their sexual orientation or identity. Diversity in science means valu- ing and including all groups – irrespective of their religious beliefs, sexual orientation or social background. It is not enough for us at the Humboldt Foundation to sit back and say, it is as it is. We want to recruit the best talents and the leading minds, and you can’t do that if you always stick to the same narrow segment. We are an organisation that actively wants to acknowledge, value and promote innovation and multiple perspectives. That’s why we con- stantly review our selection and sponsorship tools to determine how we can proactively pro- mote diversity to an even greater extent. Quotas would help to accelerate the change. They are being discussed in business. But sci- ence has misgivings that this could impact on excellence … Yes, I’m aware of that. And nobody I know would want to be selected for a fellowship or award on the basis of their gender, national- ity or skin colour – but because of their own outstanding performance! Quotas have their attractions and are one possible tool because they have a quick effect. But I consider them to be a sort of last resort when other approaches fail. And what are they? For instance, we’re considering how to reach people who have Humboldt qualities but DIVERSITY is a core characteristic of the Humboldt network. Photo: Humboldt Foundation/David Ausserhofer FOCUS 22 HUMBOLDT KOSMOS 112/2021