Susanne Tauber wins AObaward with commitment to academic freedom
Susanne Täuber, an expert on gender equality and bullying at universities, is this year's winner of the Academy Kiss. The AObprize is awarded every year on Valentine's Day to an academic who has made a special contribution to science. This year's theme is academic freedom.
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Susanne Täuber published last year about bullying at universities and the resulting social insecurity and undermining of academic freedom. According to Richard de Boer, UvA lecturer and co-organizer of the election, the jury took into account when nominating Täuber and choosing a winner that it not only raises the issue of bullying, but also tries to do something about it.
According to De Boer, the jury was impressed by the story 'Professor Bullies', which Täuber published in The Green Amsterdammer about transgressive behavior in science, together with Yolande Jansen, Natalie Scholz and Remco Tuinier. In the story in De Groene, the authors write that the social safety policy that universities have set up has led to more abuses in the academic world.
Susanne Täuber advocates a safer and more social university
As an example of Täuber's focus on action, De Boer cites her proposal to tackle flexible contracts at universities, because they lead to unintentional positions of power and hierarchical structures. Täuber advocates a safer and more social university that resists attacks on academic freedom.
The other two nominees for the Academy Kiss were Sarah de Lange from the University of Amsterdam and OccupyEUR. De Lange earned her nomination for her efforts to make science safer for the outside world and her efforts to set up a hotline for scientists at risk. OccupyEUR was nominated because this group of students has put cooperation between universities and polluters on the agenda since last year by occupying Rotterdam's Erasmus University.
De AOb organizes a webinar on March 15, 19.30-20.30 pm, about the Academy Kiss: 'How do we deal with transgressive behavior in science?' You can register via the agenda.
