Falling Walls Female Science Talents Falling Walls Science Summit 2022

International Spring Gathering 2022 Impressions

SIX CHARACTERISTICS YOU NEED TO CHANGE THE WORLD BY RUTH MORGAN

To be a change maker of tomorrow, we need to be change makers today, and yet it has also been said that ‘if you can’t see it, you can’t be it’. The Falling Walls Female Science Talents programme is taking this challenge on in creative and exciting ways, and it has been brilliant to be a part of the International Spring Gathering of their intensive track science talents. The meeting brought together science leaders of today and the future from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds. During our time together we had opportunities to reflect, challenge, engage and grow a network of science talents who are working to change the world today, and who will be leading the charge in the future. I had the honour of moderating two days of fascinating conversation, hearing from an incredible line up of speakers from academia, industry and multinational corporations. I am not only inspired, I am also even more optimistic as I look forward.

Our theme for our two days together was gendered research and innovation. Click on the tiles below to read more about the six reflections from those conversations of what it takes to be an inspirational change maker:

 

Summary
After these two days, I am more convinced than ever that as we build trust and community, and as we listen and engage with different positions, backgrounds, industries and points of view, we can look to a bright tomorrow. Critical thinking is going to be key, in combination with encouraging each other to trust our instincts and to have big vision as we work together with and for our societies. We will need to keep asking questions, and bringing humility and an open mind, but if we do, we can be optimistic. Thank you to the Falling Walls Female Science Talents team and the sponsors who made the meeting possible, thank you to the speakers who shared their stories, and thank you to the Female Science Talents who are taking us forward.

 

You can learn more about Prof. Dr. Ruth Morgan and her work by following her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or by visiting her website. 

PANEL I: GENDERED RESEARCH FOR SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION IN ACADEMIA

Director of the Elsevier Foundation Ylann Schemm joins Prof. Dr. Ruth Morgan in outlining the goals and vision of the Elsevier Foundation. Discussions focus on utilising evidence and data driven approaches to push for inclusivity in the research eco-system and the benefits of a tenacious mindset.

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PANEL II: INNOVATING INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH

Is it possible to demonstrate the value of diversity in ways that are not financial? Where is the future of industry and research heading? Alison Kennedy of the Science and Technology Facilities Council in the UK and Miriam van Straelen, partner at Roland Berger, join Prof. Dr. Ruth Morgan in evaluating the necessity of diverse teams and addressing existing system biases.

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PANEL III: GENDERED INNOVATION AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Learn more about the history behind the Gender Summits, the need for a ‘systems change’, and the linkage between gender sensitive research and excellence in science by joining Prof. Dr Ruth Morgan in the third panel of this series. The panelists are Prof. Dr. Rana Dajani, Director and Chair of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World in Jordan and a Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, Elizabeth Pollitzer, founder of Portia and an evaluator and advisor to the European Commission, and Dr. Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi, Associate Professor for Nanotechnology/Polymers at the National Research Center in Egypt.

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PANEL IV: GENDERED INNOVATION AND MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS

Dr. Julia Duwe, partner at Roland Berger, and Simone Menne, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany, join Prof. Dr. Ruth Morgan in sharing their insights on the impact of the pandemic on gender equality and what they consider to be the key to innovation in research and business.

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