Speaker
Description
“You must be in the wrong place!” — this was how my interview talk for a professorship in physics began more than twenty years ago. Since then, much has changed. Female physicists have become more visible, gender equality has become an important aspect of appointment procedures, funding programs, and scientific committees, and questions of work-life balance, dual careers, leadership, and fair career paths are no longer seen simply as “women’s issues.”
And yet, one central question remains: When do young female physicists really feel that they are in the right place — in physics, in science, in interdisciplinary research, and in the committees where the future of science is shaped?
This talk combines personal experiences with a look at structural changes over the past two decades. It asks what role models, visibility, good supervision, fair negotiations, early scientific independence, and a culture of trust and encouragement can contribute. There are no simple recipes for a successful career. What matters is creating an environment in which different people can find their own way and different life and career paths are possible.
Physics itself is changing. It is becoming more interdisciplinary, more collaborative, and more relevant to society. This change offers an opportunity. When young female physicists are not only invited to participate, but are encouraged to take responsibility and shape the future of their field, they do more than find their own way in physics — they change physics
