On the occasion of the International Women in Engineering Day, Prof. Inès Chihi gave an inspiring speech at the European Investment Bank (EIB) about the challenges and opportunities for women in engineering. This prestigious event brought together students, engineers from the private sector and academia and representatives from the institution to pay tribute to the remarkable contributions of women engineers.
In her presentation, Prof. Chihi discussed the challenges that a woman engineer may face during her studies. She also mentioned the role of educational institutions and society in encouraging girls to take STEM subjects. She specifically highlighted the role of social networks in explaining the importance, needs and capabilities of girls studying engineering. “Scientific events and conferences are important, but we need to think of new ways to communicate and speak the language of young girls. We must consider social media, which has become an undeniable force in today’s world”, comments Inès.
In addition, Dr. Marie-Alix Dalle and Dr. Serket Quintanar Guzmán, respectively former doctoral and postdoctoral student at the University of Luxembourg and now Sustainability Research Engineer at ArcelorMittal and Programme Manager at Redwire Space Europe, shared their experience working in the steelmaking industry and the space industry.
Leonor Berriochoa, Senior Engineer and Sebastien Collot, Pincipal Advisor Bioeconomy at the European Investment Bank (EIB) presented how engineers can progress within a bank or an international financial institution, but also how women engineers can truly find their place at the EIB.
The different speeches and reflections sparked many discussions and certainly motivated the participants to continue to promote diversity and inclusion in the field of engineering.
