New strategy for gender equality and equal opportunities to strengthen quality and inclusion at KI

– Gender equality and equal opportunities are a matter of quality for the whole of KI. Through the new strategy, we are strengthening our long-term efforts to ensure that all employees and students are given equal opportunities to develop and contribute to our activities, says Annika Östman Wernerson, President of KI.

Six priority areas 

The strategy focuses on six priority areas where KI sees particular development needs: governance and follow-up, recruitment and career progression, a good working environment for students and employees, leadership and employee engagement, the content, implementation and design of education, as well as the allocation of research funding and resources.  

Within each area, objectives, development needs, activities and indicators for follow-up have been identified to ensure long-term and systematic work.  

Particular focus on career development and strengthened leadership 

The strategy highlights, among other things, the need to strengthen gender equality in academic career progression. Although the proportion of women among newly recruited professors is increasing, the professor level is still male-dominated. KI will therefore implement long-term measures to achieve the target of 61 per cent newly recruited female professors by 2028.  

Strengthened leadership is another key area. KI’s work on gender equality and equal opportunities has received international recognition through the European Commission’s Gender Equality Champions award. The prize money of EUR 100,000 that accompanied the award is also planned to be used to further develop and systematise leadership skills development in gender equality and equal opportunities.  

– Managers and leaders have an important role in implementing the new strategy. By strengthening their knowledge, we can genuinely create long-term conditions for an even more inclusive and gender-equal KI, says Johanna Bäckström, HR Director at KI. 

Clearer follow-up of equal opportunities 

To strengthen governance and create a better evidence base, an annual equal opportunities report will be produced. The report will compile and analyse indicators across the strategy’s different areas and provide management with better conditions for monitoring developments and prioritising measures.  

The strategy also includes measures to create an inclusive working and study environment, integrate equal opportunities into educational content, and ensure a more gender-equal allocation of resources within research and operations.  

– The goal is for gender equality and equal opportunities to become a natural part of KI’s regular organisational development, line management and collegial governance. With clearer objectives, indicators and follow-up, we will have better conditions to see results and drive change where it is needed most, says Kristina Ullgren, Equal Opportunities Coordinator at KI’s HR Department. 

Shared responsibility for implementation  

Responsibility for implementation is shared across several levels within KI. The President has overall responsibility, while vice-presidents, heads of department and managers are responsible for implementation and follow-up within their respective operations. The Equal Opportunities function within the HR Department will coordinate and support the work in close collaboration with operations, student unions and trade union organisations.  

The new strategy comes into effect on 19 August 2026 and is intended to help strengthen the quality of research, education and the working environment through a more systematic approach to gender equality and equal opportunities at Karolinska Institutet. At the same time, the strategy serves as KI’s Gender Equality Plan (GEP), which is a requirement for participation in the EU research programme Horizon Europe.