"You should be a bit bolder as a woman..."

February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We spoke with Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Engineering Management, about shyness, stereotypes, and big dreams.

Professor Keil, did you always want to go into academia?

Actually, I worked for many years in the business world at a high-tech company. I studied business administration at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences and the Technical University of Dresden. However, looking back, it was at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences that the initial spark for my academic career was ignited. That’s where I met my mentor and role model, an exceptional professor of Mechanical Engineering who sparked my enthusiasm for research. Starting in my second semester, I worked for him in his interdisciplinary, international research team while pursuing my studies. He personally showed me that anything is possible.

Did your parents support you along the way?

My parents work in the tourism industry; they aren’t academics. They never pushed me in any particular direction. I was someone who enjoyed learning on my own—no one had to encourage me to do so. I had a sheltered childhood; even if I got a C once in a while, it wasn’t a problem. I chose to study business administration on my own because it opens up career opportunities in all kinds of companies.

What advice do you give your children?

I don’t have any children yet. But if I did, I would really recommend that they pursue a degree in computer science, Industrial Engineering, or mechanical engineering, depending on their talents and interests. If we want to get women excited about STEM, it’s important that they have role models and see: this works, this is an interesting career, and I can do it!

How could we get women and girls interested in these careers?

Simply approach things with an open mind and let go of stereotypes. Those who work with schoolgirls need to recognize talent. We don’t want to push everyone toward STEM, either—that wouldn’t make sense. We want a diverse economy. For example, there’s also a great need for tradespeople and healthcare professionals. Specialized activity areas in preschools—such as STEM or trades areas where children’s individual abilities are encouraged—would be great, so that a wide variety of talents, including the creative side, can be awakened and nurtured early on.

And how was it for you?

My interest in technology was sparked by my mentor. As I mentioned earlier, I originally studied business administration and had absolutely nothing to do with the technical field, but now I’m in a highly technical sector and am fully accepted there. I familiarized myself with the subject matter, and I think most of my industry partners don’t even know that I actually have a background in business administration. I myself was a bit girly at first, a little insecure. But my mentor helped me grow in that area, too: he conducted training sessions in the research group before we were supposed to present our results. He said, “Don’t be so well-behaved—it’s okay to ruffle some feathers and ask questions.”

Have you ever faced discrimination in your career because you are a woman?

I believe that women who want to can find their place in business and science. Speaking from my own experience, I can say that I’ve never been disadvantaged in any way as a woman. I know from friends that, unfortunately, this kind of discrimination still exists sometimes. That women sometimes have to put up with strange comments from men—little jabs…

Women have only had the opportunity to study in Germany for the past 100 years. Will it even matter in the future whether you’re a woman or a man?

It’s already no longer important today whether you’re a man or a woman. We’re now reaping the benefits of the ’68 movement. Men are becoming “more modern”—for example, taking paternity leave—and as a result, women are becoming more flexible and can better balance family and career. As women today, we have the opportunity to achieve anything we want—regardless of whether we’re women or men. This is also true in the context of digitalization. Digitalization enables more flexible work arrangements—for example, working more from home while still participating in the job without the need to be physically present. After all, we can work at any time and from anywhere.

Various studies show that as early as 5th grade, girls underestimate their math skills—unlike boys—and make career choices accordingly. Is this why many girls lack the self-confidence to consider STEM careers—in line with their talents—when making decisions about their future education?

I have a saying hanging on my fridge: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” You should believe in yourself and in your dreams, but they shouldn’t just be dreams—they need to be turned directly into goals. Girls and women should have the self-confidence to know that anything is possible. You have to know what your own values, desires, and attitudes are. What do I want to achieve in life? After all, not everyone has to become a leader. Success is something everyone defines for themselves.

And how can you put this into practice?

You should have ambitious goals, write down ways to achieve them and continuously check whether you are achieving them. Get out of your comfort zone, don't just dream. As a woman, you really have to be a bit cheekier, not behave so conformist and well-behaved. You have to have a certain stamina and be able to deal with uncertainty. Especially in the field of science, it's very, very uncertain when you're aiming for a professorship. By then you're usually almost 40, you're under pressure, employment contracts are temporary, you can't really plan where I'll get a call. It could be in Frankfurt am Main, in Kiel, anywhere in Germany or in the world. I myself received a call to the USA, but turned it down. None of this is exactly conducive to starting a family. Or to settle down. When you're over 30, you want to arrive somewhere with your partner.

You've only been at the HSZG since December 2017, have your doctorate in your pocket, teach in your faculty and recently became its Dean. What are your goals that you still want to achieve?

My personal goal is to learn something new every year, something that has nothing to do with my profession, such as playing the piano. And I wanted to be popular with my students as a professor. Popular in the sense that they say they learn something lasting from me and that they also enjoy teaching with me. That was my goal when I started here. The students are very important to me. I want to give them something in the same way that I was given values. This is a dream job for me. I am extremely grateful to be a professor. And that the German state has given me a mandate to contribute to the advancement of young people here.

The interview was conducted by Sophie Herwig