RMU Talk Series: Family
Start on November 6, 2025
2025/10/27
As part of the RMU Alliance, we are planning a series of online talks during the winter semester in which we would like to examine three topics relevant to work-life balance from an academic perspective. The series is aimed at anyone who is interested, whether they are personally affected, students, multipliers, lecturers, managers, or…
November 6, 2025 | 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Dr. Anna Wanka, Goethe University Frankfurt
Students with caregiving responsibilities—an invisible group
Universities are much more than just places of education—in societies where care work is undergoing fundamental change, they also have a role to play as caregivers. While the compatibility of studying and childcare is already established at many universities, students who care for an adult (e.g., their parents or grandparents) remain largely invisible – even though almost 12% of students are involved in such caregiving activities. The talk will present current research and examples of good practice on the (in)compatibility of caregiving and studying, and discuss how universities can better support students who are caregivers.
December 11, 2025 | 2-3 p.m.
Prof. Nina M. Junker, University of Oslo
How parenthood has a positive effect on work and studies
Conflicts between work and family are familiar to most people – not just parents. But is there also a positive side to parenthood? In her lecture, Professor Nina M. Junker discusses the concept of family-work enrichments. She explains how parenthood can enrich work and studies and which factors can positively influence this enrichment.
January 29, 2026 | 2:00–3:00 p.m.
Omar Shehata, M.A., Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Working on cloud nine?! The influence of cloud working on family life
How do cloud workers manage their work-life balance? The cloudworking form of work has the potential to blur the line between work and private life, and it also has special characteristics in the area of family life that affect productivity. The New Work movement, which holds that capitalist wage labor is outdated and that work must be transformed so that it is free and self-determined for employees, forms the starting point for these considerations.
The events will take place online via Zoom. Registration via the registration tool is requested, but spontaneous participation is also possible. All information about the event series can also be found on the RMU website.
