Academic Arqus Debate #4

In celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11th, the Arqus Alliance will promote an online discussion on women and academia on its YouTube Channel. It includes a special focus on the access and presence of women in STEM disciplines – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

February 11 will be a day to confront, discuss, promote awareness for change, and to offer tools needed to stimulate interest and provide information on the relevance of research, in particular scientific research, by sharing the successes and achievements held by women. For this reason, the fourth Arqus debate will feature female scholars talking about their experiences by discussing obstacles and opportunities, both in the past and today, which universities and society pose to women pursuing academic careers. There are still many problems regarding the gender gap in university working environments, with some differences in Europe. Furthermore, the gender gap seems to increase in direct proportion to the academic hierarchical scale. The metaphor most used is the ‘glass ceiling’. The glass ceiling includes the invisible limitations, not analysed by data, facing women as they climb towards careers in top positions, including positions in academia. Therefore, it is quite essential to discuss the gender gap across European universities, with the relevant data in hand. It may be useful and constructive to touch upon historical profiles of Italian women who have facilitated "a conquest of the university" both within Italy, and more generally, in Europe. It would be advisable for this to be addressed by at least one of the speakers.

On the panel:

• Margarita Sánchez Romero, Associate Professor at the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology at the University of Granada
• Sandra Pralgauskaitė, senior scientific researcher and associate professor of Institute of Applied Electrodynamics and Telecommunications of Vilnius University
• Hélène Courtois, astrophysicist and Vice-President for International Relations at the University of Lyon
• Renate Dworczak, professor for organic chemistry and special representative of the rectorate for gender equality and diversity at the University of Graz

Moderator: Annalisa Oboe, professor of English and Postcolonial literatures at the University of Padua and Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Cultural, Social and Gender Relations, and Director of the “Elena Cornaro” University Centre for Gender Studies.

Watch the debate on the YouTube Channel of the Arqus Alliance.