The proportion of female academics decreases with every rung further up the job ladder. “Step Up” is the new network of women in higher research positions at Lund University. Together they want to tackle the problems to realize their goals.
The network of doctorates (PhDs) and post doc students at Lund University goes to its first round. At the 11th of March, 300 higher research students get in contact with mentors from industry and academia. The objective is to open up, establish contacts and to exchange experience.
“There’s no forum to connect to mentors or other PhD-students”, says Linnéa Taylor, one of the initiators.
Starting at the University as a PhD student, Linnéa entered unknown territory. “It’s a bit of a secret how things actually work inside the university.”
The medical doctorate found herself in a bubble – in touch just with her supervisor and a couple of colleagues.
Together with her two friends Emelie Karnevi, also PhD, and Gaelle Offranc Piret, post doc at the Medical faculty, she formulated the main problems of higher research students, especially female ones, and created a network.
Emelie says: “There are a lot of opportunities for us, we just do not know about them. Female role models are missing.”
One of the Lund University principles is ‘equal opportunities’. But the process from theory to reality is slow, says Linnéa:
“We want to give it an extra push. We women need to Step Up.”
They started the initiative ‘Step Up’ in December last year. In just three month it developed to a ‘full blown event’.
“The 300 places were fully booked within two weeks” says Emelie.
In the meeting PhDs and post doc students from the Medical faculty, the Science faculty and LTH can get to know each other and mingle with junior and senior scientists as well as local entrepreneurs and larger industry actors.
“We want to open up channels. We do not intent to put a career upon the students, but to support them in reaching their goals.” says Linnéa.
The meeting is targeting mainly female researchers. Linnéa explains:
“So far we just have funding for this target group, but in the future we want to open up for all others as well. The issues we face are not gender specific but affect everybody.”
To develop the network meeting into an inclusive network organization, more assistance is needed.
“Until now we spend a large amount of our working time with the initiative. Our supervisors have been exceptionally supportive, but we cannot do so in the long run.”
Emelie, Linnéa and Gaelle hope that the University will help.
“We need a large body of volunteers to work with the network.” Says Linnéa.
And it seems like their initiative is needed at other universities too.
“Each day we receive up to 300 E-mails from people who would like to join and tell us that they have been looking for such an initiative for a long time”, says Linnéa and continues:
“We cannot change the structures within a year, but at least we can do something for our generation.”
