WoCa Lunch: A Program for Female Students to Get Informed About PhD Studies

RWTH Publications (RWTH Aachen)

Abstract

The doctorate (PhD) or doctor of philosophy is the highest academic degree in most fields of study, including informatics and computer science.During doctoral studies, students learn to conduct independent research and contribute new insights and knowledge to their field of study.Doctoral graduates often pursue academic careers as professors and researchers, but may also work in industry, government and other fields where advanced research skills are valued.The number of women opting to pursue a PhD in informatics is low, with around 19% of PhDs awarded in Europe [24], and 24% in the United States of America [36], making women an underrepresented minority.The impact of this is far-reaching: with a small number of female professors, researchers, and mentors, the number of role models decreases, decreasing further interest of females in informatics at

Authors 5

1. Milena Vujošević Janičić
2. Erika Ábrahám Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen

3. Amal Mersni
4. Oleksandra Yeremenko
5. Miguel Goulão