To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February and International Women’s Day on 8 March, the University Management invited women from all IMC Krems departments to a special event on 12 February to celebrate and underline the significance of female scientists’ achievements. The University Management will set the ball rolling with the Science Cafe, hosting a breakfast for all women working at IMC, which will also feature a talk entitled ‘Making excellence visible: communication and social media for women in science’ and provide the setting for informal discussions on the subject of women in scientific disciplines.
Special month to celebrate women
The Science Cafe is the starting point for a month of events at IMC Krems devoted to outstanding women in science and research. The university will also use this as an opportunity to highlight inequality in these fields and the challenges that female scientists face. Women are still underrepresented in science. According to UNESCO, only about a third of employees in the science sector worldwide are women. That said, the picture is much brighter at IMC Krems, given that women account for 63% of all academic staff and 66% of students. As far as the university’s science and technology degree programmes are concerned, 76% of the students on the Medical and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology programme and 58% of Applied Chemistry degree students are female.
The advancement of women is at the heart of everything that IMC Krems stands for – in teaching and research, as well as in everyday university life. IMC Krems’ commitment to furthering women and girls in science is not only reflected in course contents and events; the university also takes action in this regard.
Naming of rooms in new building helps to boost visibility and recognition
In the new Wing U building – the latest addition to Campus Krems – the meeting rooms have been named after well-known female scientists, including Florence Nightingale, Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie and Hedy Lamarr. The aim is to turn the spotlight on these outstanding women and give added visibility to their impressive achievements at the university. “This move is our way of paying tribute to the achievements of these amazing women, and sharing the inspirational stories behind the successes of female scientists,” commented Ulrike Prommer, CEO at IMC Krems.
Initiatives centred on role models
“Our university not only puts an emphasis on encouraging women to work in science, but is also committed to inspiring and supporting future generations of female scientists,” Prommer added. Over the coming weeks, the Women in Science Month will profile female researchers from a range of different disciplines. The stories of these role models are intended to highlight their successes and provide encouragement and inspiration for women to pursue a successful career in science. At the same time, discussions will serve to raise awareness of inequality and the barriers women face.
The month will also include various initiatives aimed at sparking women’s and girls’ enthusiasm for science, as well as inspiring them to achieve their goals. Campus_Network:Diversity*, a collaboration with the University for Continuing Education Krems and Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, will feature events designed to encourage women and girls to work in STEM fields. They include a theatre production on 19 February by the portraittheater company starring Anita Zieher that portrays the lives of scientists Marie Curie, Hedy Lamarr and Lise Meitner. The University for Continuing Education Krems will be hosting an event on the gender data gap for International Women’s Day on 8 March. “Inspiring women and girls to explore their interest in and passion for science and research is very important to us. We believe that the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds plays a decisive part in innovative thinking and future discoveries,” said Gender and Diversity Officer Victoria Englmaier MSc .
IMC CEO Udo Brändle LL.M. hopes that these initiatives will help to support women working in science, as well as promoting diversity and innovation and inspiring women and girls: “By highlighting the stories of successful female scientists, universities can play a part in encouraging girls to pursue a career in science. This is particularly important when it comes to breaking down stereotypes about the roles of men and women in society. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is an opportunity to work together to pave the way for prospective female managers who want to work in research.”
