Engineering is fun
"Engineering sciences are fun" - that is the core message of the taster day for schoolgirls. More than 80 girls followed the invitation of LIMES (Ladies In Mechanical and Electrical Studies) and came to ETH Zurich to find out more about studying at the Departments of Mechanical and Process Engineering and Information Technology and Electrical Engineering.
Like most events, the taster day was held online last year due to the corona pandemic. That’s why the 80 girls from all over Switzerland were particularly pleased to get a taste of university life on site on 26 November 2021. The ninth taster day for schoolgirls was organized by LIMES, the Women's Commission of the Academic Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Association. The aim is to overcome reservations about these fields, which are still male-dominated, and to present the many opportunities available.
The event was kicked off with presentations on the two departments. Michèle Strzelecki, president of LIMES, welcomed the participants: "Four years ago, I attended the taster day myself," she said. "Today, I study mechanical engineering at ETH, and maybe you will be here soon, too."
From study to start-up
Laure De Lorenzis, a professor at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, then presented her research and talked about her career. "Women are still in the minority in engineering, but I never cared about that," she said. "I enjoyed math and physics even as a high school student and wanted to be able to create something new." Engineering, she said, is just the thing for that. "You use the basic principles of natural science to develop something new." After studying in her hometown of Lecce in southern Italy, she said she continued her research and later taught in various countries. She has been at ETH Zurich since February 2020. She recommended that the students not be deterred if they were interested in engineering. A degree program like mechanical engineering is very diverse, she said, and offers many career opportunities, including setting up your own company.
Gabriela Hug, a professor in the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, expressed similar sentiments. She pointed out that she graduated from high school in Solothurn with a major in languages and still managed to successfully complete her studies in electrical engineering. The mother of three has been a professor at ETH Zurich since 2015. The focus of her research is on secure energy supply.
Making engineering studies tangible
Like the previous speakers, Louisa Buttsworth, D-MAVT alumna, and Annika Jeiziner, D-ITET alumna, described the many opportunities their studies have given them. "In 2014, I was at the taster day," Jeiziner said. "Today, I work at SBB." And Louisa Buttsworth, who works at a company that consults on engineering projects, advised attendees to go snooping around companies to find out what interests them most.
To make studying mechanical and electrical engineering even more tangible, the girls then visited various labs as well as the Student Project House and the High-Voltage Lab. In the Student Project House in the ML building, students can meet to exchange ideas and use the infrastructure provided on site with 3D printers and other technology. In D-ITET's High Voltage Lab, the focus is on energy research.
