Paderborn University has been named ‘Company of the Year 2026’ by the Chancen network and will take part in the awards ceremony in Berlin on 10 September, alongside two other nominated institutions. The nomination recognises the university’s outstanding role in supporting first-generation students – a group that is disproportionately representative at the university – as well as its consistent commitment to greater educational equity.
In order to specifically counteract structural disadvantages linked to social background, Paderborn University has continuously developed and systematically expanded a wide range of support measures. These initiatives were further intensified following the university’s first-ever certification as a ‘Diversity-Compliant University’ in June 2023 and have noticeably raised awareness of the significance of social background at the university. Another example of the successes achieved in the ‘social background’ dimension of diversity is the integration, since 2023, of diversity-related aspects into mentoring and PhD programmes, which, in collaboration with Prof. Isabel Steinhardt’s federal research project ‘Doing Diversity’, have proved highly effective. “Doing Vielfalt” comprises five work packages aimed at connecting cooperation partners across the university between 1 June 2026 and 1 December 2027, and working in a participatory and collaborative manner on practices and the removal of barriers to inclusion for first-time academics.
With this nomination, Paderborn University is sending a clear signal in favour of an inclusive academic landscape that provides fair educational opportunities for all student groups.
