Successfully reaudited as family-friendly university in 2026

The University has once again been certified as a family-friendly university. The quality seal that the University has born since 2010 confirms its ongoing efforts toward a culture of compatibility both in human resources and scholarship that takes the varied needs of its members into account. The University is committed to firmly establishing this culture throughout its infrastructure and processes by involving staff, students, and supervisors equally. The Family Office in the Equity Unit plays an important role in strategically assessing the University’s services and needs. As a vital port of call, advisory service, and source of ideas, the Family Office connects people within the University and across universities. It promotes a family-friendly agenda and further develops strategies and targets in the areas of equal opportunities, diversity, and social sustainability. The renewed certification fortifies the University’s appeal as an employer and institution that actively supports the compatibility of family life and work/studies. The certificate will be formally awarded in Berlin on 18 June 2026.

Seal confirms long-term commitment

Intensive conversations took place as part of the dialogue days, including with stakeholders in leadership positions and daily operations. There were different exchange rounds (e.g., the conference of equal opportunity representatives; meetings of the faculty’s departmental, front office, and administrative heads; the Executive University Board) for members working in management, equal opportunity, academic departments, and University leadership and administration. Their insights form the basis for a sound program of measures for the next 3 years. The program was signed by the Executive University Board. Certification also recognizes our strategic efforts to foster the principles of access, belonging, and community (ABC)— which are the foundation upon which we are pursuing our equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. University members contribute their commitment and expertise to create a climate in which equity and diversity are actively lived. We continuously develop our services to respond to changing conditions. We need to determine whether we can maintain current effective regulations and services to support the compatibility of family life and work/studies in the face of budgetary restrictions.

Goals in the new program of measures

• Taking compatibility needs into account in the context of management and cooperation: We look at reconciling family obligations and management duties, as well as the role of supervisors in supporting staff with family obligations. We develop timely and purposeful support measures based on a gap analysis of our extensive services. We also consider the links between managerial duty of care and responsibility for related matters, such as social sustainability and health management. 
• Strengthening systematic support for students who have family obligations:  Starting from a solid foundation, we optimize individual measures for reasonable accommodations and risk assessments and raise awareness for the support needs of caregivers.  
• Maintaining and expanding family-friendly infrastructure and childcare offers: We continue regular childcare, ensure the needs-based expansion of short-term and flexible childcare. We also preserve existing facilities and include them in plans for new or renovated parenting rooms.

The family-friendly university audit serves to systematize and develop existing regulations, activities, and opportunities. It aims to create a reliable framework that offers scope for individual arrangements, The solutions should take the different needs of the various status groups into account. Employees and students must be able to achieve a healthy balance between their studies/work and their family commitments, including childcare and care duties.

A comprehensive and sustainable approach to support the reconciliation of family life and work/studies must be integrated into university structures and processes and become an integral part of our University’s culture. Alongside organizational measures, this requires—above all—a stance that takes the diverse individual living situations into account. Therefore, all members of the University—whether studying or working in managerial roles, research, teaching, administration, or technical fields—are encouraged to find and implement solutions together, irrespective of whether they have family commitments or not. The different framework conditions and opportunities for action of the individual status groups must be considered.

It is advisable to coordinate approaches and measures with them in other areas, such as health, diversity, and inclusion/participation.

Since the University of Hamburg was first audited and certified as a family-friendly university in 2010, various approaches have been developed to establish long-term institutional support for all University members with regard to balancing family life and work/studies.

In 2020, the University received permanent certification as a family-friendly university. Prior to that, it had successfully completed the first dialogue procedure. The goal of this procedure is to maintain the high level of development of human resources policies related to family needs and different life stages and to improve in specific areas.

This includes independent steering, design, and development of family-friendly working and studying conditions on the part of the University itself;

quality assurance based on competent guidance, feedback, and input;

ideas for new and innovative topics;

exchange and learning possibilities through partnerships;

recognition of the long-term direction of the family-friendly work and study conditions thanks to permanent certification.

The process is called a “dialogue procedure” to make clear that quality assurance is not simply a formal review but a professionally and externally guided process toward the permanent establishment of compatibility measures throughout the institution.

The audit calls for quality assurance by means of a dialogue procedure every 3 years. 

As northern Germany’s largest research and educational institution, the University of Hamburg is a flagship university with the motto “Innovating and cooperating for a sustainable future.” It combines a wide range of degree programs with excellent research. In its centennial in 2019, it was granted 4 clusters of excellence and the title of University of Excellence.

The University of Hamburg sees itself as a family-friendly higher education institution where combining family life with academic studies or a career is an integral part of university culture. The University of Hamburg believes that family is a valuable asset. All staff and students have families or are part of a family.

This is why, in 2010, the University of Hamburg applied for the first time to take part in the family-friendly university audit conducted by Berufundfamilie GmbH. Following our success in this external audit, the University was awarded a certificate and quality seal, which it may now rightfully use throughout Europe. Audited universities are committed to their social responsibility. They meet the legal requirements for gender equality and for supporting students and employees with family commitments.

Read more about the guiding principles and profile.