Women Professors Network at Unifr

About us

Visionary female professors from different disciplines came together to establish the Women Professors Network at the University of Fribourg. United by a shared recognition for the need for connection, collaboration, and advocacy, they created a platform to build a supportive community for women in academia. The network seeks to empower women professors by fostering the exchange of ideas, building meaningful relationships, and driving innovation within an inclusive and intersectional environment.

Mission

We are committed to cultivating a thriving academic community by championing collaboration, mentorship, and visibility for women in academia. Together, we aim to address challenges, unlock potential, and create a more inclusive and intersectional university culture where women thrive as leaders, innovators, and mentors.

  • Objectives
    • Foster collaboration and exchange: promote sharing of experiences, skills, and mutual support to build a strong community and solidarity among members.
    • Strengthen interdisciplinary connections: build bridges between women professors across faculties and establish open communication channels with university leadership.
    • Enhance visibility and recognition: advocate for greater visibility of women professors as leaders and changemakers within the university and the wider academic community.
    • Inspire and mentor future generations: serve as role models and provide mentorship to empower and motivate early-career academics and students.

     

  • Vision

    A university community where gender equality is the norm, where women professors are fully represented in leadership roles, and where their contributions to academia are celebrated and supported. Through collaboration and advocacy, we envision a culture of inclusion and innovation that benefits women professors and the entire academic community.

  • Board and Founding members
    Board

    The board of directors consists of six people. 

    Patricia Boya is the president, and Sarah Progin-Theuerkauf the vice-president.

    Founding members

    The network was founded by 14 women professors representing diverse disciplines at Unifr.

    Selma Aybek Anna Jazwinska
    Patricia Boya Chantal Martin-Sölch
    Talitha Cooreman-Guittin Sarah Progin-Theuerkauf
    Alke Fink Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser

    Esther González Martínez

    		 Esther Schwarzenbach
    Regula Hänggli Fricker Anne von Philipsborn
    Diana Ingenhoff Joëlle Vuille
  • Membership and contact

    Join the Women Professors Network at Unifr!

    Are you interested in connecting with other women professors at the University of Fribourg? Are you interested in participating in activities and discussions that support women in academia?

    The network is open to all women researchers at Unifr holding Full, Assistant, or SNSF Professor positions.

    Joining is easy and free of charge! Complete the membership form. Together, we can cultivate a supportive and inspiring community.

    If you have questions, please contact us at women-prof@unifr.ch

  • Events
    General assembly and conference

    March 9th, 2025, 16h  in auditorium PER 21 C120

    • 16.00   General Assembly.  Open to all Unifr women professors.
    • 16.45  Conference open to geneal public, registration required. Register here.

     

    “From intimacy to institutions: rethinking consent as an everyday practice “.

    Olympe de Gê, French essayist and creator of the podcast Le Serment d’Augusta

     

    This conference invites critical reflection on consent as a core ethical and professional principle in medicine and beyond. With Olympe de Gê, french essayist and creator of the podcast Le Serment d’Augusta (a documentary podcast reimagining medical ethics and the caregiver-patient relationship), the talk will examine how consent is addressed, challenged, or overlooked in medical practice, and what these dynamics reveal about authority, responsibility, and institutional culture. Drawing on investigative podcasting and documented testimonies, Olympe de Gê will expand the discussion to broader professional environments, including academic and teaching contexts. The conference will open a space for dialogue on consent as a pedagogical, ethical, and relational issue—essential to fostering respectful, accountable, and inclusive institutions.

    Introduction
    Prof. Patricia Boya, president of Women professors network, Faculty of sciences and medicine
    Prof. Selma Aybek, board member of Women professors network, Faculté of sciences and medicine

    • 18.00 Aperitif
    Past events

    Networking event

    Date: November 28, 2025
    When: 10.30-12.15, followed by a standing lunch
    Place: Adolphe Merkle Auditorium

    Program:

    • Introduction to the Women of Professors Network in Fribourg 
    • "Then and Now: The Changing Face of Workplace Stereotypes"
      Franciska Krings, Professor of Organizational Behavior
      University of Lausanne, Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC)

    Networking Breakfast May 28th, Pavillon Vert Jardin Botanique

    Enjoy a breakfast and games to get to know your colleagues!

    Launch event on 10.03.2025

    The launch event took place on March 10, 2025, in auditorium A140 PER 21.

    16.00: first general assembly, open to all interested Unifr women professors.

    17.00: public conference “Inclusive language: a storm in a tea cup or an answer to a real problem?” by Prof. tit. Pascal Gygax, winner of Marcel Benoist Prize 2024. The conference is open to all, but registration is required here.

    Introduction:

    • Katharina Fromm, rector
    • Chantal Martin Sölch, vice-rector
    • em. Ruth Kellerhals

    18.00: Aperitif offered by the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Office.