Visibility and diversity
Exhibition portrays female mathematicians from Wuppertal and around the world
Successful collaboration at the University of Wuppertal: A team from the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) ‘port-Hamiltonian Systems’ worked together with the School of Design and Art on the exhibition ‘Women in Mathematics’. Now the opening has also been celebrated together. From left: Jun.-Prof. Hannes Gernandt, Prof. Claudia Totzeck (both SFB), Rector Prof. Birgitta Wolff, Prof. Birgit Jacob (SFB spokesperson), Christiane Freyer (Deputy Equal Opportunities Officer at BUW), photographer Sigurd Steinprinz and student Marlon Berndt (both School of Design and Art). // Photo Marylen Reschop
Being excellent at maths has absolutely nothing to do with gender or background. But even today, getting into maths can be difficult, and women often face particular obstacles. The exhibition "Women in Mathematics around the world" shows female mathematicians from all over the world and their passion for their research with photographs by Noel Tovia Matoff and interviews by Sylvie Paycha. It makes it clear that mathematics is shaped by women around the world - in research, teaching and application.
At the University of Wuppertal, the international portrait project is being expanded to include a sister exhibition with portrait photographs by Sigurd Steinprinz. It presents 13 women from Germany, Italy, Lebanon, Morocco and Slovenia who are conducting research together in the special research centre "port-Hamiltonian Systems" based at the University of Wuppertal.
Did you know?
Forthe second time in a row, the University of Wuppertal has received a special award for its gender equality concept: it is once again among the best in the programme for female professors developed jointly by the federal and state governments and can now call itself a "university with strong gender equality".
View of the exhibition in the foyer of Building K. // Photo Marylen Reschop
Trusting in your own strengths
The female mathematicians portrayed share their experiences and encourage young female scientists to trust in their strengths. They also provide insights into their personal world of mathematics: how did they develop their passion for the subject, which area of mathematics particularly appeals to them and what are they researching?
Birgit Jacob, Professor of Functional Analysis, is the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Centre at the University of Wuppertal, which is funded by the German Research Foundation. As part of the exhibition, she also reveals how much she enjoys meeting new people and discussing mathematical problems with them.
No coincidence
The date of the vernissage was not chosen by chance. "The exhibition opening was a great conclusion to a three-day seminar for which we hosted numerous doctoral students at the University of Wuppertal who are researching port-Hamiltonian systems in mathematics and other subjects," explains Birgit Jacob. "In our Collaborative Research Centre, it is important to us to live a welcoming culture that promotes the growth of the community and in which mutual support is a matter of course."
Young female researchers should also benefit from this. They then met at the "Women in port-Hamiltonian Systems" workshop. With the opportunities offered by a Collaborative Research Centre, those responsible not only want to solve mathematical problems, but also contribute to solving structural problems in science. Among other things, the workshop served as a platform for the researchers to present their work and successes and make new contacts. "We recognise the importance of networks. As the exhibition shows, this is exactly what we, as experienced female scientists, recommend to younger women: have the confidence to ask other people questions, build support structures and don't get discouraged," summarises Professor Jacob.
Exhibition: "Women in Mathematics", Foyer Building K, Gaußstraße 20, 12 to 27 March.
How to bring a Collaborative Research Centre to life
The portrait exhibition is one of several highlights of the past two months for the mathematicians of the "port-Hamiltonian Systems" collaborative research centre: In January, the exhibition "Effort + Flow", which brings together art and mathematics, was launched at the Kunsthalle Barmen. "It's not so easy to explain the theoretical concepts of our Collaborative Research Centre to outsiders. The mathematical models we are researching can be used to describe how energy flows through systems, is passed on and connects things together, for example in electrical circuits or machines. Together with Kunsthalle Barmen, we have managed to bring these ideas of movement, force and connection to life with installations, objects, videos and experiments," explains mathematician Professor Dr Birgit Jacob.
"Effort + Flow" can be seen at the Kunsthalle Barmen until the end of the month. Guided tours from different perspectives and workshops will also be offered in this context. The finissage with the performance "Auf dem Grund" by Tanja Kodlin is on 29 March.
