Association of Hungarian Women in Science
Budapest, Hungary, 2012, April 26
The Association of Hungarian Women in Science organized the Girls' Day for the first time in Hungary on 26 April 2012 – simultaneously with the European initiative
The aim of the „Girls' Day" is to raise the interest of highschool girls aged 15-17 years towards science, informatics and technology; to widen the orientation of their career plans beyond traditionally female occupations towards engineering and future-oriented professions, to call the interest of companies to the girls as potential, well-educated workforce, to make the parents and the public realize that in traditionally „male" occupations the demand for girls is more and more pronounced.
The international conference „Women in Industrial Research and Engineering" hosted by Obuda University on April 25, 2012 served as the opening event of „Girls' Day". It introduced the equal opportunity measures utilized by international institutions (European Commission, EUREKA), foreign and national research organisations and companies committed to research, development and innovation. The event was supported by the Association of Hungarian Women in Science and the FP7 project GENDERA. The conference was sponsored by Robert Bosch Electronics (gold), GE Lighting and GE Healthcare (silver), Ericsson (bronze) and Porsche Hungaria.
The first Hungarian Girls' Day was organized at different locations, in Budapest and also in Budaőrs, Hatvan and Százhalombatta at car, telecommunication and informatics companies. The following host organisations participated in the 2012 programme: Robert Bosch Electronics, Ericsson Hungary, Evopro, GE Hungary Lighting, GE Hungary Healthcare, Holografika, Kürt, Microsoft Hungary, Siemens, Vodafone Hungary, MOL, one department of Obuda University and six departments of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics. Each organisation compiled its programme for the girls according to its own possibilities, taking into consideration that the „show" should catch the interest of the young people. The programs were very diversified, starting from the introductory company presentations to factory tours, from the „travel" of light and sound to 3D movie system, from fashion show to roundtable discussions, from material tests to the demo of high-voltage discharge, from „electrical scene investigators" to programmable humanoid robots.
The results are self-evident. The „Women in Industrial Research and Engineering" conference opening the „Girls Day" had about 70 participants on 25 April 2012. On the next day 11 companies and 7 departments of 2 universities hosted 262 students of 22 highschools. 77 articles, news itmes were published in national and international media. The Facebook fan group of „Girls' Day" increased by 168 users during a few weeks and the information on the event reached more than 65.000 people. The first ever „Gilrs' Day" in Hungary established a new tradition in the country.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Beáta Szoboszlai
Manager
Coordinator of Girls Day
Association of Hungarian Women in Science
Postal address: 1255 Budapest, Pf. 206
Phone: (+36) 30 625 8353
E-mail: beata.szoboszlai@nokatud.hu
Website: www.nokatud.hu
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