Networking Event for Women at the Department of Computer Science
06.02.2017 von Jessica Bagnoli, Translation: Natalie Wocko
A lively atmosphere prevailed at the Department of Computer Science during the networking event. Numerous female undergraduate students, postgraduate students, research assistants and administrative staff gathered in order to get to know each other and to exchange experiences. The event was organised by the new Equal Opportunities Commission including Juliane Krämer, Dorothea Koert, Nadja Geisler and Aylin Müller-Cin. The team's aim is to increase the presence of women at the Department as well as to ensure and promote equal opportunities for women and men. Their focus lies on the compatibility of work-family balance as well as on networking between women in Computer Sciences, which is why the event served as a platform for defining shared goals.
On two pin boards, participants could write down what they expect from their new Equal Opportunities Commission and what, from their (female) perspective, the Department of Computer Science lacks or what they like about it. A list of versatile ideas and suggestions emerged. Requests for an own newsletter and a social media platform, for workshops and courses of lectures with women from economy and science, as well as for committee functions and professional development opportunities were made. Movie nights with a 'focus on women' and a broader support in the sense of mentoring programmes for new students were part of the agenda, while the idea of regular meet-ups for women at the Department to create new contacts and to follow up stood out. For the latter, this year's first meet-up was a good starting point.
