ERFURT_ Women are still underrepresented in scientific and technical professions, and that is set to change: The Thuringian network evening "MINT-Geflüster“ contributes to this, taking place on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the COMCENTER Brühl (Erfurt). The term "MINT“ is derived from the fields of study and careers in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology. All women who work in these fields or are pursuing a degree or professional career in them are invited to the network evening. The organizers are the Thuringian Coordination Office for Natural Sciences & Technology (NWT) based at TU Ilmenau and LEG Thüringen.
The idea behind the networking evening is to bring together interested MINT women from all over Thuringia – from students to company executives – to exchange ideas and to network. Unfortunately, women in MINT professions are still often in the minority. All the more important is to create such spaces and opportunities to support each other“, says Melanie Meder-Jurcin from NWT. – "For us it is a matter of the heart to support projects that bring girls and women closer to MINT professions“, says Sabine Wosche, managing director of LEG. "We offer with MINT-Geflüster many access points to information on the topic as well as opportunities for active networking.“
The network evening is aimed at female students, graduates, and doctoral candidates, as well as women returning to work, employees, or female executives at Thuringian universities or in the regional economy. At the event, women provide insights into their life paths, experts discuss MINT career fields and paths in a panel discussion, and a get-together opens up many opportunities for networking. Starting at 3:00 PM, Cornelia Stöckmann, a coach from Erfurt, will conduct a communication workshop for female MINT students. From 6:00 PM, Gerlinde Sommer, editor-in-chief of the Thuringian State Newspaper (TLZ), will moderate the panel discussion with Lena Lüneburger, managing partner of Werkzeugbau Ruhla GmbH, Dipl. Ing. Regina Greiner-Lüth, managing partner of AIG Gotha GmbH Architects & Engineers, Prof. Dr. Eva Hornecker, professor of human-computer interaction at Bauhaus University Weimar, and Dr. Stefanie Seitz, manager of the Support & Training Center at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS.
The Thuringian Coordination Office NWT is a working unit of the Thuringian Competence Network for Gender Equality; it motivates female students to take up a STEM degree in Thuringia and supports female students during their corresponding studies at one of the eight Thuringian universities. As part of its project “MINT-Studentinnen: innovativ vernetzt“, it implements the wish of all universities to expand the network evening across Thuringia. The LEG is closely connected to this topic through its “Thuringian Agency for Skilled Worker Recruitment“ (ThAFF). ThAFF markets Thuringia as a place of employment, supports Thuringian women and men in their return to the local labor market, and assists companies in meeting their skilled labor needs.
Further information at: www.thueko.de
