Projects on equal opportunities

First Gen+ Project: lotta alla selettività sociale nell'istruzione superiore

Social selectivity refers to inequalities in access to and success in higher education and academic careers linked to socioeconomic background. In Switzerland, young people from less privileged families, especially those whose parents do not have a university degree, face greater obstacles in their educational and professional careers than their peers from more affluent backgrounds.

In response to these inequalities, the project “Social selectivity by social origin in higher education” was launched as part of the federal programme P-7 Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunities in Higher Education Development (2021-2024) by swissuniversities. The project also led to the drafting of a catalogue of recommendations for Swiss universities and other higher education institutions, as well as the creation of an information platform for prospective and current students and graduates.

H.I.T. - High Potential University Leaders Identitiy & Skills Training Programme - Gender Sensitive Leaders in Academia

Although women students now represent the majority in many academic disciplines, women professors and women in management positions (e.g. deans, presidents) are still under-represented in Swiss educational institutions, such as universities or research institutes. The H.I.T. project offers a training and education programme for academic managers for 20 professors. The project also provides for the networking of resources and content for the general public.

Partners: Universität Zürich (Leading House), Universität Basel, Universität Bern, Université de Fribourg, Universität St. Gallen, Université de Genève, Université de Lausanne, EPFL, Universität Luzern, Université de Neuchâtel, ETHZ.

Website: www.gleichstellung.uzh.ch/de/projekte/hit_2

Professional Mentoring Programme

Starting from the Fall semester 2020-2021, the Equal Opportunities service with Business and Professional Women association (BPW) offer a Professional Mentoring Programme to women enrolled in the second year of the Master and PhD. The six-months programme aims to facilitating the entry of USI female prospective graduates into the job market through targeted and one-to-one counselling with women professionals. The Professional Mentoring Programme responds to one of the strategic goals of the Action Plan for equal opportunities: the overcoming of so-called horizontal segregation, through women's increased access to traditionally male-dominated career paths. More information, including participation criteria and enrollment procedure, are available on the webpage dedicated to the Professional Mentoring Programme.

Women in Informatics

The "Women in Informatics" project is part of the initiatives provided in the 2017-2020 USI Action Plan for Equal Opportunities that aim to raise awareness and support girls in the conscious choice of MINT degrees. Through a series of actions, we will contribute to deconstruct the collective imagination of technical-scientific professions (with the aim of increasing the enrolment of girls in informatics faculties), motivate the choice of MINT paths with positive models, support the students who attend the USI Faculty of Informatics.

The project continues with several activities envisaged in the Equal Opportunities Action Plan (2021-2024).

SEN-SI. Special Educational Needs - Strategies for Inclusion in Italian-speaking Swiss universities

Equal opportunities and inclusion in education can only truly be achieved when teaching programmes are made fully accessible to students of all disciplines and levels, regardless of their disability, learning difficulties, language or cultural background. The project aims to develop, implement and validate a new set of corrective and/or additional measures to support students with Special Educational Needs (SEN), introducing innovative and diversity-friendly teaching methods and technologies into Bachelor's and Master's programmes to ensure high-quality university education and a more inclusive environment for the entire student community.

Partners: USI, SUPSI (co-leading houses)

Website: www.sen-si.usi.ch

Period: 2021-2024

Women in Informatics

The "Women in Informatics" project is part of the initiatives provided in the 2017-2020 USI Action Plan for Equal Opportunities that aim to raise awareness and support girls in the conscious choice of MINT degrees. Through a series of actions, we will contribute to deconstruct the collective imagination of technical-scientific professions (with the aim of increasing the enrolment of girls in informatics faculties), motivate the choice of MINT paths with positive models, support the students who attend the USI Faculty of Informatics.

Period of development: 2017-2020

100 women: They did it! - 100 femmes: Elles l'ont fait! - 100 donne: Loro l'hanno fatto!

The project "100 women: they made it" consists of a communication campaign, made up of public events, publications and digital media, aimed at an audience of all ages, such as school children, adolescents and their families, members of partner institutions and companies. This campaign highlights the career paths of 100 women, among thousands of others, in the regions concerned, with particular attention to professionals working in fields traditionally associated to men. The aim is to break the exceptional status that is still too often associated with these career choices.

Partners: Université de Genève (Leading House), Université de Franche-Comté, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Haute école spécialisée de la Suisse occidentale.

Period: 2018-2020

Premio ERMIZA. Pari opportunità nei media radio e TV della Svizzera italiana

Il Servizio pari opportunità USI ed il Servizio Gender e Diversity SUPSI hanno collaborato con la Commissione consultiva per le pari opportunità del Canton Ticino nell’attribuzione del Premio Ermiza, assegnato, per cinque edizioni, a lavori di informazione e approfondimento realizzati sui media radio e televisivi della Svizzera italiana che meglio rappresentino una visione non stereotipata dei generi e, in generale, del tema della diversità.

Partner:  Servizio pari opportunità USI, Servizio Gender e Diversity SUPS, Commissione consultiva per le pari opportunità del Canton Ticino.

Periodo di svolgimento: 2011-2019

Genere, linguaggio e comunicazione istituzionale

Lo studio, commissionato all'Istituto di Argomentazione, Linguistica e Semiotica (IALS) della Facoltà di scienze della comunicazione, mirava ad identificare quali pratiche potessero essere adottate nella comunicazione istituzionale USI per favorire un approccio bilanciato al genere partendo dall'analisi di diversi documenti prodotti dall'ateneo nel quinquennio 2010-2014.

Gruppo di lavoro: Arianna Carugati, Sara Greco, Cristina Elia, Marta Zampa e Giovanni Zavaritt.

Periodo di svolgimento: aprile - luglio 2015

Learners voices @ USI – SUPSI

La ricerca Learners Voices@USI-SUPSI mirava a descrivere l'utilizzo delle ICT da parte degli studenti e delle studentesse di USI e SUPSI. I risultati sono riportati nel rapporto di progetto.

Partner: eLab USI-SUPSI, Servizio Gender e Diversity SUPSI

Periodo di svolgimento: settembre 2009 - marzo 2010