Anita Thaler, senior researcher at the IFZ, emphasized in her input that scientific satisfaction depends heavily on whether researchers are valued as individuals with specific knowledge, whether their ideas are supported, and whether their working conditions are fair.

Thaler referred to the volume she edited with Dani Jauk-Ajamie (2022) and argued that care work in science is an essential but often overlooked component of knowledge production. She criticized performance-oriented evaluation systems and advocated for greater consideration of diversity and equity in academia—in line with the DORA declaration.

Her conclusion: Academic kindness should be structurally anchored as a contribution to a more equitable and sustainable academic culture.

A summary of the event can be found here.