Assessing Academic Career Progression: A Cox Proportional Hazard Model for Stagnant Levels

This study investigates gender disparities in academic career progression within Italian universities over the two-decade period from 2000 to 2021. Analyzing data from the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MIUR), we focus on the dynamics of promotions from tenured assistant professors to associate professors across 14 scientific areas. Cox’s proportional hazards regression model is employed to estimate time to promotion revealing a male advantage across all areas. The results reveal a consistent advantage for male scholars in experiencing promotions, with statistically significant differences observed within all areas except two. The analysis shows a persistent concentration of women at the tenured assistant professor level, that have difficulty in getting promotion as associate professor. This research contributes valuable insights into the gender dimension of academic positions in Italy, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to promote diversity and equality in university careers.