In previous years, GÉANT has celebrated Women’s History Month each March by highlighting women within the community working in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) roles and interviewing them in order to celebrate their achievements and discuss the barriers they face.
However, this year we wish to raise visibility of those women who are usually perceived as working ‘behind the scenes’ but are actually at the forefront of Women for STEM and are women who, with their job role, work in support of the technical activities of our community, leading project milestones and successes. These supporting roles range from communications, project management, partner relations, to procurement and finance, to name a few. The focus is on job roles that, despite not being “technical” such as STEM, have the objective to support the successful planning, promotion, and execution of the GÉANT community’s specialised activities. Through this new perspective on the roles of women in our community, we wish to expand the focus to include more of the contributing actors, to show the variety of non-technical professions and how they are all tied to each other and working towards the same goals.
The first woman we spoke to was Tetiana Preobrazhenska, who is the Marketing Communications Manager for URAN, the Ukrainian Research and Academic Network. Tetiana joined URAN in 2018 as a marketer. She is responsible for URAN’s marketing communications, social networks, website, and international contacts.
Communicating during times of war
I had to work in a bomb shelter during air raids or in a dark room during blackouts caused by Russian missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Working under such conditions was challenging and frightening, but my motivation stemmed from the understanding of how important and welcomed such information is for researchers and educators, and how useful and timely URAN’s and GÉANT’s assistance is for them. In dark times, helping others and believing in the importance of your actions greatly aids in your resilience.”
After talking with Tetiana, it is clear to see the importance of communications during such a catastrophic time, and as a community we will continue to show our love and support for URAN. Our global community can be filled with highs and lows, but we come together to support one another which is what makes us so unique, and why we value building genuine and meaningful global relationships.
To learn more about the importance of this from a different perspective, we spoke to Helga Spitaler who works within the International Relations team at GÉANT as Senior International Relations Project Manager. Helga operates in a complex project environment characterised by, among others, two very diverse communities as she supports and engages with Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. Establishing very meaningful connections within the community, she has supported several innovative breakthroughs, in particular GÉANT’s involvement in the multi-million-Euro Medusa submarine cable project aimed at boosting trans-Mediterranean R&E connectivity. The European Union’s first Global Gateway project also sees the participation of the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and Medusa promoter AFR-IX Telecom.
Around the world collaboration
Helga describes and acknowledges the importance of collaborating with her fellow STEM colleagues. These collaborations are key in a STEM environment such as the GÉANT community to ensure we can work together to produce the best outcomes possible.
The next testimonial from Marina Dimić Vugec also focuses on the theme of collaboration. Marina is currently working as Head of the Department for Cyber Security Management in the National CERT which is a sector in CARNET – the Croatian Academic and Research Network. Marina describes herself as a “career butterfly”. Her primary profession is a social worker, however during her student and professional life she was mostly involved in project management for social policy, civil society development, sustainable development, community organising, and from 2017, cyber security awareness raising and education.
Sparking interest in cyber security
It is a real challenge to find effective ways to impact the change of behaviour and habits of the various users of today’s Internet-connected technology to act responsibly, correctly, and to protect themselves, and others, from potential financial harm or cybercrime. As we are different and unique in the real world, we are different in our expression and use of digital technologies and appearance in cyber space. It is challenging, but always driving, to use innovative approaches, methods, and words which can really make a difference and be heard from those to whom you are addressing.”
Marina’s genuine passion for her job and the joy she finds in carrying out this work is evident from her testimonial.
This is something Monique from GÉANT also relates to, and goes on to explain the importance of. Monique Pellinkhof is a Senior Procurement Manager at GÉANT, working as Task Lead in the Cloud procurement task on the GN5-1 project, and has played a key role in the OCRE and EOSC Future projects. She joined GÉANT at the time that the OCRE project needed to distribute EC adoption funding for Cloud services to individual research projects across Europe. She developed a highly innovative distribution mechanism which allowed GÉANT to procure Cloud and Earth Observation services via the OCRE framework on behalf of research institutes across Europe. Monique’s enthusiasm and ability to innovate underpinned these efforts of distributing over €17 million of funding across 45 research projects in total.
Procuring for the community
The success of a project such as OCRE relies on people like Monique and her team working ‘behind the scenes’.
Another example is the AfricaConnect3 project, a €37.5 million project co-funded by the European Union, where Beatrice is currently in charge of the financial and administration management. Beatrice Ng’ambi has been working with the UbuntuNet Alliance from the very early stages of the organisation and contributed greatly to its success. She is currently the Acting Finance and Administration Manager, where she is in charge not only of the financial management and administration for the regional network for Eastern and Southern Africa but also for AfricaConnect3. Her role involves providing in-depth financial information to facilitate the delivery and monitoring of the project’s objectives and costs. Her day-to-day activities cover management and administration of financial reporting, manpower reporting, timesheets and other regular tracking of costs and finance progress, as well as providing support for the project governance for the project and organisation.
Attention to details and comprehensive overviews
One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is maintaining a comprehensive overview of all organisational activities, ensuring meticulous recording and accounting for costs and progress. It brings me immense satisfaction to witness the tangible impact of our efforts on advancing education and research collaboration in the region. Establishing personal networks with colleagues from various NRENs within and outside the UbuntuNet Alliance, especially inspiring women in research and education networks like Margaret Ngwira, Dr Iman Abdelrahman and Cathrin Stӧver, just mentioning a few, has been both enriching and motivating. In my role, qualities such as attention to detail, strategic thinking, and effective communication are paramount. The dynamic nature of the work demands adaptability and a steadfast commitment to the organisation’s vision. It’s a privilege to contribute to the success of the UbuntuNet Alliance and play a part in shaping a connected and empowered future for African education and research communities.”
Moving from Africa to Latin America, Tania Altamirano, like Beatrice, points out that the people within our community aid their drive to continue working hard and to push through various barriers they face in their working environments. Tania is the Academic Relations Manager for RedCLARA, the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks. She is Nicaraguan and has lived in Chile for 18 years. With a background in social communications, Tania joined RedCLARA in 2009, and is currently dedicated to articulating initiatives on priority areas such as eHealth, climate change, education, the development of engagement strategies for the BELLA II Project, and leading the regional work group for gender equality.
Creating pathways to connect and evolve
Gender policies are (rightly so) starting to become more of a focus for various organisations, which is especially important in STEM working environments. However, creating the policy is simply not enough. The only way we will see this long-awaited change is through the actual implementation of these polices, women and men educating themselves, taking accountability for their own actions, attitudes, and behaviour. As a CEO, Gitte can empathise with the challenges women who work within a STEM environment experience.
Gitte Julin Kudsk has had various experience working in supporting roles, such as the former Head of Secretariat and Communications of DeiC, and is now leading the organisation as CEO of the Danish NREN since the beginning of 2021. She has been involved in, and jointly responsible for, the development of DeiC since 2012 but has over 20 years of experience in the realm of digital infrastructure, in addition to the ministerial and university political landscape. With a keen eye for both the theoretical and operational aspects of strategy work, Gitte ensures the realisation of the strategy and facilitates national and international cooperation.
On leading a technical community
Having navigated various roles within technical communities, from administration to CEO, I have encountered both challenges and opportunities that are unique to my gender. In many instances, I have found myself as the only woman in the room, whether in ministerial meetings, boardrooms, or professional gatherings. The awareness of this disparity has been highlighted by experiences such as being asked about how I managed to become a director, a question highly unlikely to be posed to a man in the same context, and which underscores the ongoing need for gender inclusivity and awareness in our professional spaces. As a leader, I am committed to fostering such inclusivity and progress and to empower women in similar roles within the technical community.”
It is hoped that this article, and the insights provided by the women in supporting roles that we have featured, contribute to the discussion around this topic, sparking the initiation of these vital conversations and questions that you may not have considered before. Continue to support your fellow female colleagues who work in a STEM environment such as the GÉANT community as best you can, and consider this… is there anything more you could be doing to promote a positive change?
Take a look at previous blog posts and articles for our previous #WomeninSTEM campaigns visit: connect.geant.org/womeninstem
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