From student to professor: how do women experience the STEM landscape?
The University Association Brussels interviewed female role models working in higher education as students, PhD students, professors, staff members, and/or researchers within STEM. From simple questions such as “What kind of work do you do?” to in-depth questions such as “What inspired you to choose your career?”, they answered them all. Below you can read what the nine women affiliated with the VUB had to say. All video interviews can be found here.
The work you can do within STEM is very diverse. Among those interviewed are PhD and doctoral students, professors, researchers, and even combinations of the three. The specific subjects of their studies range from pharmacy to computer science, but the common thread running through their work is that each field has both a theoretical and a practical side, and that the challenge often lies in combining the two.
What motivates you to devote your life to science?
VUB researcher Anouk Verstuyft (bioengineer) works with mycelium, the root network of fungi, as a sustainable material for, among other things, her furniture collection Fungal Functions. She feels that her research topic is about to gain momentum and will lead to a lot of innovation. “The fact that I could contribute to this is very motivating,” she says.
It is also striking that scientists often mention that they mainly want to help others by contributing to the world of research. This is certainly true of bioengineer and PhD student Annah-Ololade Sangosanya.
VUB professor of computer science Elisa Gonzalez Boix also draws her motivation primarily from the fact that she works on technology that other scientists could benefit from in the future.
Is STEM too difficult for women?
“What I found difficult, men also found difficult,” says Sarah Bilal, educational assistant at VUB and PhD candidate (medicine & pharmacy).
VUB professor Najat Aourz (pharmaceutical and pharmacological sciences) emphasizes that studying is difficult for everyone, and that acquiring knowledge is the samen for men and women alike.
Professor Damya Laoui (bioengineer) adds that during her studies she first had to prove herself in order to be seen as an equal by her male colleagues. Today, she believes this is less and less the case. At the time, women were often encouraged to choose ‘easier’ studies. For example, she was advised to become a teacher so that she could take holidays with her children—even though she didn't know at the time whether she wanted children.
Does it bother you that women are often in the minority in STEM?
VUB researcher Hatice Satilmis (medicine & pharmacy) says that she was in a class with only two other girls in high school. “Despite the fact that we were in the minority at the time, we were able to build close friendships through our common interests,” she says with a smile.
Several students and professors point out that men are not in the majority in their programs, but PhD student Jara Salueña Martin (bioengineer) notes that this is often the case 'at the top of the pyramid' of academia, and that it is up to female students and researchers to change this.
PhD student Marthe Ballon (financial & applied mathematics) puts it this way: "Don't be put off by fields of study or careers that are currently dominated by men. There's no point in comparing yourself to your fellow students anyhow. After all, every student starts with a different level of basic knowledge or background. But ultimately, everyone has the opportunity to get the best out of themselves at the university."
The University Association Brussels (UAB) combines the strengths of the Erasmus Brussels University of Applied Sciences and Arts (EhB) and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). This collaboration in both education and research results in support, services, and operations for more than 30,000 students and 5,000 employees. The VUB and EhB characterize themselves as high-quality, socially engaged, internationally oriented, and future-oriented, which makes them stand out in a cosmopolitan capital such as Brussels.
