It will soon be twenty years into the millennium; yet we still need to ask: how does gender matter in academia and research, in academic careers and organisations, such as universities and research organisations? What is the state of the art in Sweden, one of the leading countries globally in societal gender equality, and among the most research intensive and innovative societies? For at least for decades, gender equality has been on the agenda of Swedish and Nordic higher education and science policies. The main higher education, research and innovation stakeholders in Sweden have been actively engaged in numerous gender equality promotion actions since the late 1970s. When it comes to gender relations in academia, the picture is more complex. On many key indicators, such as the share of women among full professors, Sweden does not perform much beyond the European average levels. Questions addressed in this lecture include: what kind of old and new gender challenges do today’s doctoral researchers and academics encounter in their academic environments and careers? How does sexism operate in modern academia? Are excellence and gender equality (in)compatible? How can we create more gender equal and inclusive academic organisations where all talent can thrive and advance?