What is Unconscious Bias?
The new Unconscious Bias Online Training addresses so-called unconscious biases, which are inherent in people and unconsciously influence perceptions and evaluations in social life and work.
Unconscious bias refers to deep-seated prejudices that people absorb and apply in social, hierarchically structured coexistence. Due to the deep anchoring of prejudices and the unconscious evaluation of other people, unconscious bias trainings are essential, especially in a professional context. This is where decisions are made about applications, career moves, position allocations and power functions, which can be subjective.
Why Unconscious Bias Online Training at TUM?
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) values integrity and derives success from an appreciative environment of talents from different backgrounds, cultures, ideas and perspectives, acts with respect for others and based on transparency in accordance with its values. TUM emphasizes the importance of diversity by placing it at the center of its mission: “We inspire, promote and develop talents in all their diversity.”
Accordingly, TUM has committed to a diversity concept through its Diversity & Gender Equality Plan (DGEP). One area of the DGEP relates to raising awareness and providing trainings on gender equality and unconscious gender-specific biases for staff and decision-makers.
TUM follows the recommendations of the European Commission: „Unconscious bias training is important in helping people to examine their own behaviours and views and identify how institutional processes may cause disadvantage to women in areas such as decision making, careers and leadership. Integrating this type of training across the organisation’s processes – for example, recruitment and induction processes, or research funding evaluation processes – is key to ensuring that unconscious gender bias does not influence decision-making and selection practices”.
Who created the Unconscious Bias Online Training at TUM and for whom?
The Unconscious Bias Online Training was created under project lead by the Staff Unit Diversity & Inclusion together with the TUM Institute for LifeLong Learning and can be accessed here by individuals for whom the training is activated.
Special Thanks to: Andrea Erhardt, Greg Erhardt, Regina Hagl, Ruth Müller, Cansu Güner, Aysel Sultan, Nadine Osbild, Anja Kathrin Rueß, Amy Clare, Bernhard Isopp