Focus on Research: Dual Career Couples By Judith Jenner

Suparna Goswami and her husband Samarjit Chakraborty from Calcutta love their careers. Up until February they both lived in Singapore where he worked as an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore while she completed her PhD. Then Samarjit Chakraborty was offered a position the Technical University of Munich (TUM). For both of them it was clear that the new location would also have to offer career prospects for Suparna. "For this reason moving to a small town was out of the question", explains Suparna. Munich offers excellent career opportunities for both of them thanks to the first class university and the good network of companies. So in February, the pair, who are originally from Calcutta, India, moved to Munich. Figures estimate that some 30% of male scientists are romantically involved with a female colleague with this figure rising to 80% for female scientists.

The careers of both partners are an issue for discussion during the appointment process

During the appointment negotiations, the university offered Samarjit the services of its Munich Dual Career Office. The office has been managed by Kerstin Dübner-Gee since the start of 2008 and it seeks to "provide a highly personalised advisory service, particularly with regard to the competitive benefits of international recruitment". Dübner-Gee knows that "soft factors" such as providing support for partners in finding a job can help tip the scales in persuading a high calibre researcher to move to Munich. In the past five years the Munich Dual Career Office has provided 47 consultations, and 26 clients have found jobs. Support and guidance is still on-going for the others. So far in 2009 we have had 20 clients, five of whom have already found jobs.

"Start-up funding" for jobseekers is the exception to the rule

But the picture is not so rosy for all universities, particularly those in structurally weak regions. Dübner-Gee estimates that there are 25 technical universities which offer a dual career service. While the majority only offer this service to top-level researchers, at places like the University of Konstanz it is also offered to mid-level scientists. In exceptional cases "start-up money" can be given to couples while a partner is looking for a job. "The aim, however, is always to achieve long-term employment relationships", explains Julika Funk from the Dual Career Couples office at the University of Konstanz.

Subtlety is always required at universities where a position at the same university is to be created for partners, and, at the end of the day, expertise must always remain the key deciding factor.

The Dual Career Centre - Promoting Gender Equality

In the majority of cases Kerstin Dübner-Gee deals with the wives of top scientists, probably because she works at a technical university. Men accounted for just 14% of all consultations in the past year. Kerstin notes that men look for secure, long-term employment with the prospect of advancing their careers. She goes on to say that women, in contrast, easily adapt to situations once the decision has been made. She is convinced that the commitment to dual career couples will bring more female scientists to TUM.