Women in the Earth system sciences - discussion at ZMAW
Today, young female researchers in the Earth system sciences usually feel fair and equally treated. However, high positions still are predominantly filled by male scientists. How can women succeed in these male-dominated sciences? Female and male scientists of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) and the KlimaCampus at the University of Hamburg discussed this question on May 15, 2009 at the Centre for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (ZMAW).
A “women only” closed session opened the day in which about 50 female Ph.D. students and junior scientists exchanged experiences and opinions with senior female scientists: Is it actually possible to plan a career and if so, what is important to know about it? The advice was: Make a plan as soon as possible but be flexible enough to change it! Apart from showing initiative, spending some time abroad as well as having good communication and networking skills, a dose of luck might also get the career going. This is what Anita Engels, junior professor for social studies at the University of Hamburg, experienced during a dinner, where one of the other dinner guests she met ended up being the key to her next job.
The following panel discussion was open to all interested employees of the ZMAW. Eight senior female and two senior male scientists formed the podium:
- Prof. Johanna Baehr, Climate System Data Assimilation; CliSAP
- Prof. Anita Engels, Social Sciences; CliSAP
- Dorothea Fitterling, CliSAP Managing Director
- Dr. Almut Gassmann, ICON model development; MPI-M
- Prof. Inga Hense, Coupled Climate Ocean Ecosystem Models; CliSAP
- Dr. Luis Kornblueh, Atmospheric model development; MPI-M
- Prof. Heinke Schlünzen, Meteorology; University of Hamburg
- Prof. (UCLA) Bjorn Stevens, Director at MPI-M and Head of IMPRS-ESM
- PD. Dr. Jin-Song von Storch, Ocean Statistics; MPI-M
- Dr. Claudia Timmreck, Super-Volcano; MPI-M
- Presented by: Ute Kreis, Head of Outreach and Public Relations at KlimaCampus
Together with the audience the orators debated on the low proportion of women among German professors, the advantages and disadvantages of implementing a women’s quota and the compatibility of family and work life. Some examples have shown that this can work out well if supported by both partners and a major organizational effort. However, the conditions regarding child care were considered to offer room for improvement.
The event, which was initiated by the IMPRS, shall be continued in the future dealing, for example, with the compatibility of family and career.
Contact:
Antje M. Weitz, PhD
Coordinator of the 
International Max Planck Research School on Earth System Modelling (IMPRS-ESM)
Phone: +49 40 41173 459
Email: 
antje.weitz@zmaw.de
May 18, 2009