“We can look back on ten years as a certified family-friendly university,” said Prof. Dr. Peter-André Alt, the president of Freie Universität Berlin. “Our work in the coming three years will build up on this foundation. We want to maintain our high standards and further develop them where needed. More emphasis will be placed on the issue of long-term care within the family.”

Freie Universität Berlin was first certified in 2007 within the framework of the German government's Excellence Initiative. One of the first steps the university took was to set up a Family Support Center. This Center was further developed into the Dual Career & Family Service, which now serves as a central point of contact and coordination. To help students maintain a better balance between studying and family, students who are parents are given certain privileges such as preferred registration for seminars, more e-learning opportunities, and an opportunity to attend classes and lectures even while they are officially on leave because of caring for children or frail relatives. Employees of Freie Universität who have care responsibilities (child care or care of other relatives) can participate in alternating teleworking or mobile working, and they can benefit from a program providing child care in unforeseen situations. The Dual Career Service supports partners of newly appointed professors in finding professional work opportunities in Berlin.

The certification “audit familiengerechte hochschule” was initiated by the non-profit Hertie Foundation. It is awarded by berufundfamilie Service GmbH.

Contact

Daniel Hippich, Manager, Dual Career & Family Service, Freie Universität Berlin, Tel.: +49 30 838-52761, Email: family@fu-berlin.de