Gender equality

Gender equality at the University of Bucharest

”The existence of a Gender Equality Plan (GEP) at the University of Bucharest represents more than a formal requirement imposed on higher education institutions in the European Union seeking access to European funding for education and research. Beyond compliance, the real value of a Gender Equality Plan lies in our university’s genuine commitment to a set of values, norms, and standards designed to foster an organizational culture where the pursuit of excellence and performance harmoniously aligns with respect for diversity and inclusion.

The activities included in the Gender Equality Plan are intended to benefit all members of the UB community — students, academic staff, and administrative personnel — and have been developed on the basis of valid institutional data and scientific evidence.” (Excerpt from the UB Gender Equality Plan)

The second implementation cycle of the UB’s GEP began in 2025 and will run through 2028, with support from the SEE-ERA project — “Transforming R&I organisations and advancing the ERA through gender equality and inclusiveness in South-East Europe”, in which UB is a partner institution.

The first cycle of the GEP was implemented between 2020 and 2024, under the ATHENA project — “Implementing Gender Equality Plans to unlock the research potential of RPOs and RFOs in Europe.”

International Recognition for UB’s Commitment to Gender Equality

As of June 2025, the University of Bucharest ranks 3rd worldwide in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) “Gender Equality.”
This prestigious ranking evaluates universities’ progress in achieving UN SDGs and is among the most respected global benchmarks in higher education.

This outstanding performance follows the successful implementation of UB’s first GEP cycle (2020–2024) and stands as clear evidence of the institutional transformation driven by the actions undertaken within the Plan. It also reaffirms the University of Bucharest’s strong and ongoing commitment to promoting equity and inclusion.

Gender Equality Plan (2025–2028)

Context & Objectives

The University of Bucharest continues its strong commitment to promoting gender equality through the new cycle of its Gender Equality Plan, which introduces a series of actions designed to help build a fair and inclusive academic environment. These activities:

a) respond to European Union recommendations regarding the need for and obligation to implement gender equality plans in higher education institutions;
b) continue initiatives developed during the first implementation cycle (2022–2024);
c) align with the strategic directions of the European SEE-ERA project (2025–2028);
d) have been defined on the basis of institutional analyses, monitoring reports, and an extensive participatory consultation process coordinated by the implementation team.

The central objective of this new cycle is to strengthen a gender-sensitive organisational culture — with a focus on best practices in inclusion. Informed by the latest scientific research, the proposed initiatives address gender equality from a multidimensional and intersectional perspective, taking into account how gender interacts with other characteristics such as age, social class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and background.

Action Areas

For the 2025–2028 period, the Plan focuses on five main areas of action and two transversal areas, in line with the European Commission’s recommendations.
Each area includes specific initiatives and activities to be implemented by December 2028.

Main Areas

1. Personal life – professional life balance
2. Inclusive organisational management
3. Gender equality in recruitment and career advancement
4. Integration of the gender dimension in research and teaching
5. Preventing and resolving cases of gender-based violence and sexual harassment

Transversal Areas

6. Training (courses, mentorships and other kinds of trainings)
7. Communication and information

The official GEP website provides updates on implementation activities and results, along with useful information and resources related to gender equality initiatives in Romania and across the EU.

Procedure for handling cases of sexual harassment and gender discrimination

The University of Bucharest reaffirms its firm commitment to promoting gender equality and ensuring a safe, inclusive, and respectful academic environment for all members of its community. To this end, the university has adopted a procedure for preventing and managing incidents of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, available on the webpage of the Service for Inclusion, Equity, and Equal Opportunities.

To encourage reporting and support affected individuals, the university provides an online reporting form, which may also be completed anonymously.

To raise awareness and prevent such behaviors, we invite you to consult this informative material developed by the FILIA Center, which offers concrete examples of harassment and discrimination. If you find yourself in such a situation, we encourage you to report the incident using the dedicated form.

Dedicated Resources

The implementation of the GEP is a collective commitment and team effort, supported by interdepartmental collaboration across the university. The ongoing management of the Plan is carried out by the UB Gender Equality Plan Team (GEP-UB), partially supported by the SEE-ERA project.

GEP-UB Team

Prof. Laura Grünberg, PhD — Project director
Filuța Ioniță — Financial director
Ștefania Chihaia, PhD Candidate — Communication coordinator & Management assistant
Alexandra Dimofte, PhD Candidate — Research assistant; UB doctoral fellowship
Raluca Molea, PhD Candidate — Volunteer

UB Staff Involved in GEP Activities

Assoc. Prof. Ana-Maria Vlăsceanu, PhD — Vice-Rector for Legislation, Compliance, Labor Relations, and Public Procurement (gender equality portfolio)
Daniela Popa — Director, Human Resources
Ana Maria Gheorghe — Career Development and New Employee Integration Program Specialist, HR Directorate
Mihaela Niță — Specialist, HR Statistics Unit
Dragoș Dena — Director, Research Program Management
Oana Sârbu — Director, General Academic Management
Mircea Sava — Director, Communication and Public Relations
Anca Ileana — Director, IT&C
Mirabela Amarandei-Duminică — Director, Strategic Orientation, Evaluation, Monitoring and Public Policy
Daniela Zaharia — Specialist, Strategic Orientation, Evaluation, Monitoring and Public Policy Directorate
Liviu Nițu — Head of the Service for Inclusion, Equity, and Equal Opportunities, Strategic Orientation, Evaluation, Monitoring and Public Policy Directorate

Achievements of the First GEP Cycle (2022–2024)

The implementation of the first Gender Equality Plan cycle marked a key moment in promoting and consolidating gender equality within the University of Bucharest. This process contributed significantly to the institutionalisation of equity and inclusion principles, resulting in several important achievements:

• Integration of the gender dimension into some key institutional strategic documents;
• Development and adoption of the first official procedure for managing sexual harassment cases — to be further refined in the near future;
• Organization of gender-sensitive training courses and workshops for academic staff, administrative personnel, and students;
• Development of online learning modules on gender equality, inclusion, and sexual harassment prevention, accessible to the entire university community;
• Launch of the Gender Studies Platform within the University of Bucharest Research Institute (ICUB);
• Creation of a dedicated Interdisciplinary Gender Studies Collection, published by the University of Bucharest Press;
• Publication of key resources such as the Gender-Sensitive Statistics Guide and the Proceedings volume from the international conference “Interdisciplinary Gendered Talks” (2023).