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

February 11 is the anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We spoke to Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Industrial Engineering, about shyness, stereotypes and big dreams.

Professor Keil, have you always wanted to work in science?

I actually worked for many years in business at a high-tech company. I studied business administration at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences and Dresden University of Technology. In retrospect, however, it was at Stralsund University of Applied Sciences that the initial spark was laid for my academic career. It was there that I met my mentor, my role model, who was an exceptional professor of mechanical engineering and awakened my enthusiasm for research. From the second semester onwards, I worked for him in his interdisciplinary, international research team alongside my studies. The man himself showed me that anything is possible.

Did your parents support you on your path?

My parents are active in the tourism industry, not academics. They never pushed me in any direction. I was a person who liked to learn on my own, nobody had to push me. I had a sheltered childhood, even if I got a C grade, it wasn't a problem. I chose to study business administration myself because it opens up career opportunities in all kinds of companies.

What advice would you give your children?

I don't have any children at the moment. But if I had any, depending on their talent and interest, I would really advise them to study either computer science, industrial engineering or mechanical engineering. If you want to get women interested in STEM, it's important that they have role models and see: it works, it's an interesting profession, I can do it!

How can we get women and girls interested in these professions?

Simply approach things with an open mind and abandon stereotypes. Those who deal with schoolgirls need to recognize talent. We don't want to push everyone towards STEM, that doesn't make sense either. We want to have a diverse economy. For example, there is also a great need for skilled trades and care professions. Specialized work areas in kindergartens, e.g. STEM or craft areas where children's individual skills are stimulated, would be great, so that a wide range of talents can be awakened and promoted at an early age, including the creative side.

And what was that like for you?

My interest in technology was sparked by my mentor. As I said, I originally studied business administration and had nothing to do with the technical side of things, but I am now in a highly technical field and fully accepted there. I've familiarized myself with the topics and I don't think most of my industry partners even know that I'm actually a business graduate. I was a bit girly myself at first, a bit insecure. But my mentor gave me a boost here too: he held training sessions in the research group before we had to present our results. He said: "Don't be so well-behaved, you can also be a bit of a nudge and ask questions."

Have you ever been disadvantaged in your career because you are a woman?

I believe that women who want to will find their role in business and science. I can say from my own experience that I have never been disadvantaged in any way as a woman. I know from friends that this discrimination unfortunately still exists sometimes. That women sometimes hear funny remarks from men, little jibes...

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

It is no longer important whether you are a man or a woman. We are now bearing the fruits of the '68 movement. Men are becoming more "modern", taking parental leave for fathers, for example, while women are becoming more flexible and are better able to combine family and career. As women, we now have the opportunity to achieve anything we want. Regardless of whether we are a woman or a man. Also in the context of digitalization. Digitalization makes it possible to work more flexibly, e.g. to work more from home and still be part of the job without having to be present. We can work at any time and from any place.

Various studies have shown that girls already underestimate their ability in math in the 5th grade - in contrast to boys - and orient themselves accordingly. Is this why many girls lack the self-confidence to consider STEM professions in line with their talents when deciding on an apprenticeship later on?

I have a saying on my fridge: Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. You should believe in yourself and your dreams, but they shouldn't just be dreams, they need to be translated directly into goals. Girls and women should have self-confidence: anything is possible. You have to know what your own values, wishes and attitudes are. What do I want to achieve in life? Because not everyone has to become a manager. Everyone defines success 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, are teaching 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 help young people progress here.

The interview was conducted by Sophie Herwig