Academic Profession and Gender among Academics in Formative Stages: International trends and successful public university strategies

This article addresses issues related to academics’ perception on how well their institutions support and accompany them during their academic career. The main questions addressed in the article are: How accessible is mentoring for academics? Do academics perceive they are well supported in their academic careers? What strategies do higher education institutions use to address gender inequality in the academic profession? The article discusses conceptual elements from the literature on faculty development, mentoring, and gender, and analyses initial findings from the international Academic Profession in Knowledge Society (APIKS) survey related to institutional support for academics in their formative career stages. Particular attention is given to actions undertaken by the one of the most prestigious public universities in Chile, the case of University of Chile, to tackle gender gaps in academic career development. University of Chile offers an interesting case study in relation to the development of policies that support women and promote gender equality at the level of the academic and student body. In this sense, it has carried out important initiatives of a transversal nature to all academic units and that have great support and legitimacy within the university community.