WU strives for excellence in all three pillars of academic work: teaching, research, and the third mission. The university assesses the effectiveness of this work from the perspective of relevant stakeholders and in terms of the overarching goal of creating a positive impact, understood as making a contribution to the prosperous development of academia, science, and research, business and the economy, and society as a whole.  As a public university, WU has a responsibility to society, and at the same time it helps to shape society.

A responsible university like WU defines “third mission” as extending the role of universities to encompass a broader range of activities within their surrounding communities. The aim of third mission activities is to make a positive contribution to the development of society on many different levels. WU acknowledges and encourages the idea that all areas of university activity can make an impact by supporting the university’s third mission goals. While teaching and research activities can have an added effect on the third mission, the purpose of additional third mission activities is explicitly to have an impact on non-university stakeholders in business, the economy, and society. WU’s third mission activities highlight (and promote) the impact of teaching and research for society, but they should also have an additional positive impact on society apart from that. WU’s strategic orientation is based on the values of openness, integrity, and appreciation. To help make a positive impact on society, these values also inform the university’s third mission activities. Moreover, WU endeavors to communicate its multifaceted impact on academia, business, the economy, society, and politics to the public at large.

Goals and Perspectives for Development

As a public university for business and economics, WU is committed to maintaining and strengthening its responsibility to society now and in the future. The establishment of a Vice-Rector position for research and third mission highlights the importance of the third mission for WU. Building on its profile as a responsible university, WU intends to become a pioneer in this regard.

The university will take further steps to make a visible and lasting contribution to the prosperous development of society from the perspective of academia and business. This overarching objective is to be achieved through four interlinked goals:

• Continued development of a common understanding of the third mission and impact

• Identification of synergies and ways of increasing visibility

• Strengthening research and science communication

• Strengthening knowledge transfer and collaborative activities

WU facilities

At WU, the advancement of equal treatment and social equality is seen as everyone’s responsibility, most especially those in management positions. A number of activities are organized and institutional measures in place to ensure that equality is firmly established throughout WU.

The Equal Opportunities Working and the Gender und Diversity Policy Office are two special units required by the Universities Act that work in different areas towards the common goal of attaining equality at WU.

Equal Opportunities Working Group

The Equal Opportunities Working Group (EOWG) is an independent collegial body established by the senate to prevent discriminatory behavior by WU’s representatives on grounds of sex, gender, ethnicity, religion, worldview, age, or sexual orientation.

Gender and Diversity Policy Office

The Gender und Diversity Policy Office was established in the Rector’s Office to fulfill the following main tasks:

• Advising the Rector’s Council on matters and processes related to promoting equal opportunities and gender equality

• Developing concepts and support programs; evaluating and monitoring the implementation of the corresponding measures and processes

• Coordinating responsibilities related to equal opportunities and affirmative action for women pursuant to § 19 (2), item 7 of the Universities Act 2002; linking these activities up with insights from gender research

• Working to help raise awareness of matters related to equal opportunities at WU (e.g. drafting the WU Equal Opportunities Report)

A Family-Friendly University

It is very important to WU to help faculty, staff, and students achieve a healthy balance between academic and professional work and private life.

• There is a child care center located on Campus WU, and WU also offers additional child-care services during events, seminars, etc.

• WU provides laptops for employees on parental leave and offers special coaching services and other programs intended to make career re-entry easier for researchers who return to their job after a parental leave.

• There is also a Dual Career Service center that provides support to dual-career couples.

• In 2013, WU successfully completed the hochschuleundfamilie audit, certifying WU as a family-friendly university for both employees and students.

Accessible and Inclusive

WU is committed to offering equal opportunities for students and employees with and without disabilities. For this reason, barrier-free accessibility was a key design goal for WU’s Campus right from the start. In addition to the architectural features of the campus, a number of other steps have been taken to make it easier for people with disabilities to study or work at WU, including:

• In cooperation with representatives of various interest groups, WU has published a set of guidelines for the inclusion of people with disabilities. These guidelines provide a foundation for the development of specific actions to encourage the inclusion of people with disabilities. 

• A Disability Commissioner provides support to students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, psychological problems, and learning disorders to make it easier for them to successfully attend courses and take exams.

• In addition, the beable program has been available at WU since the fall of 2013. In this program, experienced WU students act as mentors for fellow students with diabilities, providing assistance with administrative tasks and semester planning.

• There are also disability representatives available for WU employees.

• WU also participates in the CEOs on Wheels mentoring program, which aims to reduce social barriers for people with disabilities.

Facts and figures

• 49,5% female graduates(not including first-degree graduates)

• 24% female professors (2019)

• 12% of WU students have ethnic minority backgrounds (first or second generation immigrants, both parents born abroad)

• 9% of WU students have some kind of physical or psychological impairment (according to the 2011 survey on students’ social backgrounds)