Two women, one mission: living diversity at HZB

© HZB/Florentine Krawatzek

At the end of October 2022, the management appointed Ana Sofia Anselmo and Silvia Zerbe as new diversity officers. Together they will address diversity at HZB and drive it forward with employees. Ana works in the Director’s Office and is responsible for International Affairs. Silvia is deputy press spokesperson at HZB and is dedicated to internal communication at the centre.

What are your first thoughts on the topic of diversity at HZB?

Silvia: For me, diversity has a very positive meaning. It's an invitation to discover commonalities, but also to recognize differences. At HZB, the topic of diversity didn't just start with the audit (information about the diversity-audit at HZB), because working in a research institute brings diversity with it. I think it's great that with the audit we made a conscious decision to anchor diversity firmly in our structures. Equality, networking, and exchange are particularly important to me. I want to have an open ear for each and every one of us and get to know many different perspectives.

Ana Sofia: I agree with Silvia. As a research facility, we are diverse by nature. Science lives from collaboration and creativity, which are enriched by our various personal experiences and backgrounds. We all carry within a unique assembly of characteristics our circumstance, upbringing, education, heritage, life experience. It informs and adds to our interactions and to the science we do. I believe we need to bring this forward, the fact that diversity is an advantage. We need to promote it, to foster it and to embrace it fully, which will lead us to better science.

What are now your first steps?

Ana Sofia: In the last couple of years some topics have already been actively addressed, in large part thanks to Jennifer Schevardo and the diversity audit. This is a very good starting point for us. It is important to add to the steps already taken and bring diversity further into our everyday life. Following somewhat the strategy used during the audit: jointly discussing ideas with our colleagues and going from there. I find giving everyone a voice and room to be heard can be very fruitful.


Silvia:
It is important to me that the cooperation with the existing confidential counsellors at HZB is strengthened. We have equal opportunities officers, a representative for the severely disabled, an anti-discrimination officer, an Office for Work and Life and many other contact persons. We are really well positioned at HZB when it comes to these issues. Therefore, we should support each other even more where possible.
We would like to revive the exchange with staff on diversity issues soon. These discussions are so fruitful, and I am happy that this dialogue is now picking up speed again. We invite everyone to join in and support us with their ideas.

What do you expect from us as members of staff?

Ana Sofia: We are hoping for engagement from colleagues and active participation; not only through the well-established persons of trust but also through individual participation. We invite everyone to reach out to us, with feedback, suggestions and also to share their personal experience, how they live diversity.
However, we have just been appointed. We are still thinking about how to design specific moments of exchange. Perhaps in the form of informal roundtables alongside organized panel discussions with specialists and other activities. We will start planning very soon, so stay tuned! 

Silvia: Exactly, we are still learning the ropes and are looking forward to starting the visible work soon. In the meantime, many staff members have become more involved in the diversity labs: the topic of Mental Health, for example, is about to become permanent, we have established a good networking platform with HZB-CONNECT, and we are making progress on the topic of international affairs. But we should not forget that diversity does not only take place in these structures but every day, in every department. For me, it means being open, asking questions, showing empathy and interest, that's what brings us forward in our working culture and that's what diversity is all about.

The interview was conducted by Florentine Krawatzek

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Saskia Vormfelde appointed new Administrative Director at HZB
    News
    01.09.2025
    Saskia Vormfelde appointed new Administrative Director at HZB
    Saskia Vormfelde begins her term of office as Administrative Director at HZB on 1 September. She is moving from Freiburg ISE to Berlin.

  • Key technology for a future without fossil fuels
    Interview
    21.08.2025
    Key technology for a future without fossil fuels
    In June and July 2025, catalyst researcher Nico Fischer spent some time at HZB. It was his sabbatical, he was relieved of his duties as Director of the Catalysis Institute in Cape Town for several months and was able to focus on research only. His institute is collaborating with HZB on two projects that aim to develop environmentally friendly alternatives using innovative catalyst technologies. The questions were asked by Antonia Rötger, HZB.
  • Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
    News
    24.07.2025
    Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
    Battery researcher Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm has been awarded the 2024 Berlin Science Award. He is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin (HU) and heads a joint research group at HU and the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The materials scientist and electrochemist is investigating sustainable batteries, which play a key role in the success of the energy transition. He is one of the leading international experts in the field of sodium-ion batteries.