A researcher in my class: NCCR Women to schools

Even today, stereotypes and cultural norms are an obstacle to the orientation of young girls towards the "MINT" fields (Mathematics, Computer Science, Natural Sciences and Technology). This poses new societal challenges in the era of digital transformation. Subsequently, the progression of women's careers in research is still struggling, marked by gender inequalities in most scientific fields.

One of the best ways to encourage young girls to choose science and research professions is to expose them to professional and personal experiences of real-life female role models with rewarding professional careers in science.

In this context, 22 National Centres of Competence in Research (NCCR) including NCCR SPIN, active throughout Switzerland have joined forces in a campaign showing how women are at the center of research in all fields, from quantum physics to linguistics, from neuroscience to architecture.

In the course of this campaign, current women researchers are profiled through a series of short videos, which show who they are, what they do and why they do it. These portraits of women from around the world can be viewed and shared freely through social networks: YouTube, Instagram, Twitter. Videos are listed by language spoken or field of research. All videos are subtitled in French. Teachers are invited you to view these portraits and discuss them in class with their students.

To go further with these exchanges, our NCCRs offer teachers the opportunity to invite one of their researchers to their classroom during the 2022/2023 school year. These women are working in fields ranging from engineering to linguistics, architecture, chemistry, robotics, neuroscience, quantum physics or microbiology. The visit can either take place in person or online (favouring in person meetings). The researcher is invited to coordinate with the teacher who made the request, in case the students have a particular expectation of the encounter, but are encouraged to talk about any topic they would like, with a focus on their career path and their journey as a scientist. The meetings sparked great discussions between the students and the researchers, allowing to make up for clichés on scientists’everyday life. For example, Lara Ostertag, who visited Kantonschule Glarus, reported that students were surprised that scientists don’t work alone, the importance of ethics in science, and how important creativity is.

In the school year 2022/2023, six NCCR SPIN women researchers visited six schools: Gymnasium am Münsterplatz (Basel), Gymnasium Leonhard (Basel), Kantonsschule Glarus, MNG Rämibühl Zürich, Gymnasium Interlaken and Theresianum (Ingenbohl, Schwyz). Thank you to Agnes Meyder, Andrea Hofmann, Lara Ostertag, Alessia Pally and Melina Lüthi for taking the time to share their career path and insights with the students!

We hope this initiative inspired students and uncover vocations, while solidifying their belief that women can succeed in MINT fields.

Email: nccrwomen@gmail.com