A delegation of students from the College passionate about science welcomed the opportunity to participate in the celebrations for the International Day of Women & Girls in Science at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in Trieste. Students from various schools in the area had the opportunity to meet a number of young researchers working in several different disciplines and heard why they took up scientific research and if they ever came across racial bias in doing so. The main points that emerged from the presentations and from the Q&A session were the following: doing science is challenging, fun and very rewarding notwithstanding all the hard work that is required. Studying a given scientific discipline at university, particularly physics, can be a gateway to actually doing research work in a different field one day – a prospect that most student find very interesting. Furthermore, research teams are often composed of scientists specialised in different fields, which makes these collaborations particularly stimulating. As regards the role of women in scientific research, there was wide consensus as to the fact that there is still ample room for improvement, especially in the higher echelons, but all the female scientists on the panel emphasised that any girl who is fascinated by science must and indeed can rise to the challenge. The comments made by some of the College female students after the event seem to indicate they certainly intend to do so:
Arein from Palestine
What I’m interested in the most is physics. I love physics despite the fact that it’s not the subject I do best in. I aspire to the full understanding of the knowledge in physics acquired so far in order to be able to answer the many questions I have.
Nazia from Pakistan
Science for me is a source of exploring the hidden mysteries of the natural world. I love doing science especially Biology and Chemistry and my aim is to be a Neuroscientist and study the criminal mind. I want to decode the complex mechanisms of the human brain which triggers criminal responses.
Antonella from Italy
Up to few years ago my knowledge in science was mostly self-taught but it has grown exponentially thanks to thr powerful program of scientific studies provided by the International Baccalaureate and the continuous input I receive from my amazing teachers and international classmates.
Being at UWC Adriatic enables me to delve closely into different worlds: we are free to explore, develop and progress and we are learning to approach the future from different perspectives and in a much more open-minded way. This is an incredibly constructive and positive environment in which student’s curiosity and fascination with science and research can thrive! Being curious is certainly essential but sometimes curiosity is not enough: a hard-worker – this is the best definition I can give of a scientist.
Frieda from Malaysia
“It was a great experience listening today to women active in science and understanding their perspective. What particularly stood out to me was their resilience and perseverance. Focused, bright and determined woman like them truly inspire me.”
Fanni from Hungary
“I enjoy science and particularly Physics because it gives me the opportunity to understand the real world better in great detail. In Physics the only limit is your imagination and certainly not gender: everybody has the ability to explore the world through their mind. Gender differences should be irrelevant for science: if you have a good idea or theory it does not matter who you are you should be able to share it with the world.”
Seda from Bulgaria
“Overcoming the existing gender gap in science, just as with any other form of systematic inequality, is our shared moral obligation; the incentive for doing so does not lie, per se, in the negative impact we experience, socially or economically, but rather lies in the benefits that we, as humanity, could be enjoy through the realization of all human potential and in the scientific boundaries that can and will be pushed through the effort of all scientists, irrespective of gender. “
