The Schwäbisch Gmünd University of Design Achieves Success in the Female Professors Program
The “Form Follows Diversity” concept is gaining traction nationwide
The HfG is among the winners of the latest round of the federal and state-funded Women Professors Program. Nationwide, 44 universities were selected for their gender equality plans — including four universities of applied sciences from Baden-Württemberg. For the HfG, this means it can secure up to 165,000 euros in annual funding to finance professorships filled by women.
At the heart of the HfG’s success is the “Form Follows Diversity” concept, developed in 2025, which puts the university’s gender equality policy on a new footing. The concept is based not only on numbers and data, but also on numerous voices from within the university: students, faculty, and staff contributed through surveys and interviews. The analysis was deliberately self-critical — and clearly showed where the HfG is well-positioned in terms of diversity and where hurdles still exist. On this basis, a package of measures was developed that formulates concrete goals, sets priorities, and defines realistic steps for the coming years.
The HfG’s commitment to ensuring that design is socially relevant is also evident in everyday university life. The HfG sees itself as an open place of learning and work where diversity is not only accepted but actively promoted. Nevertheless, internal monitoring made it clear that by no means all of the self-imposed goals have been achieved — an important driving force behind the new equality. President Maren Schmohl emphasizes the significance of the award:
“Our concept is not merely a strategic document — it is an expression of our conviction that diversity is indispensable to the quality of good design. The recognition from the Professorinnenprogramm shows that we are on the right track and strengthens our resolve to further expand career paths for women at the HfG.”
The “Women Professors Program 2030” stems from a joint federal-state agreement between the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (since May 2025: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space) and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts. The positive evaluation of its gender equality concept enables the HfG to create targeted new career paths for female researchers and to increase the visibility of women in design research and teaching. At the same time, the issue of gender equality is being anchored even more firmly in the university’s daily life — as a guiding principle that shapes all areas.