Women+ Symposium Aftermath

A few months ago, we felt compelled to organize an event that would bring together hundreds of Greek women working in STEM fields, in order to send a strong message of presence and acknowledgment while also inspiring future generations. We immediately started talking and planning. Then, after months of preparation, we partnered on this initiative with three other groups (R.E.A.L. Science, Lean In Hellas: Women in Tech, and Greek Girls Code), and the result rewarded us! We had a great time with a lot of science, great vibes, and new collaborations over the course of three days!

We are grateful to the speakers who shared their work, knowledge, and experiences with us, as well as offered advice to the younger generation. A total of 38 Greek scientists were connected from various regions of Europe and America and presented us to various STEM fields with applications both in academia and industry through 7 scientific sessions. The sessions drew an audience of over 800 people and included Technology and Products, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physics, Startups and Strategy, Engineering, and Career Advice. You can now watch your favorite sessions again on our YouTube channel and on the symposium’s t page on Facebook.

As a result of the two networking sessions we organized, we came to the following findings:

1. There is a tremendous need for networking and information exchange on a large scale. We launched the Slack Channel GreekWomenInSTEM_community to connect, interact, and collaborate in an effort to respond to this. Everyone is welcome! Additionally, we plan to host networking events more frequently in order to strengthen these collaborative partnerships, so stay tuned! On October 24, 2021, the first social networking will be launched. To take part in this activity, you have to register via eventbrite.
2. Both in research and industry, mentoring is critical at all phases of our careers. There is a significant demand for help and support in everything from drafting a CV to making a job transition. We are here for that! Take a look at the Mentoring program we offer for more details.

The Awards Ceremony we planned for early-career women in STEM was one of the highlights of these fantastic three days. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the contribution of the award sponsors, whom we sincerely thank greatly. A total of 9 prizes of 2,000 euros were awarded. Congratulations to all the women who participated. The selection was extremely difficult, hence we announced and invited the finalists of each category to the ceremony, resulting in a total of 29 scientists being recognized. This is only a small taste of the incredible potential that Greek women in STEM have!

We congratulate the chairs of all the participating groups on their presentations and individual session organization. However, we believe it is vital to point out that a group of women worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything ran properly.

General Manager: Lina Ntokou and Eleni Sinopoulou

Press & Media: Myrto Patraskaki, Danae Korre, Chrysovalantou Kalaitzidou, Katerina Bobota, Maria Vlastara, Tatiana Styliari

Website Editing: Kelly Kousi, Lina Ntokou, Domi Sea

We now have to reflect on what we’ve learnt over the last three days, and then we will be back with fresh activities and seminars shortly. Stay tuned!

Thank you!

The Greek Women in STEM team