Event organised by Women.Innovation.Technology (F.I.T) network at Furtwangen University (HFU)
The “Winter School meccanica feminale”, organised by the Women.Innovation.Technology (F.I.T) network at Furtwangen University (HFU), was attended by over 100 female students, doctoral candidates and working professionals. The participants took the opportunity to attend courses, gain new insights and exchange ideas on current technical and social skills topics.
The aim of “meccanica feminale” is to promote women from the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, medical technology and industrial engineering. The 16th edition of the week-long event took place this year on the premises of the University of Stuttgart.
“Courses with a strong practical focus are particularly popular. The demand for courses where students can actively program is consistently high,” says event director Carolin Hilzendegen from the F.I.T network at Furtwangen University. “Direct contact with role models is also important, whether in the courses or during the supporting programme.”
In addition to the expertise of the lecturers, the participants particularly praised the networking opportunities and the relaxed atmosphere. One participant believes that what makes meccanica feminale 2025 so special is the “combination of friendly interaction, good organisation, networking opportunities (including informal ones in the cafeteria) and very interesting courses”. For example, there was a keynote speech on “Women, AI and the future of work: opportunities and challenges of a digitalized world” by Prof. Dr. Katharina Hölzle, Head of the Institute of Ergonomics and Technology Management at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering and Technology Commissioner of the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economic Affairs. Other topics included resilience, mentoring and salary negotiations.
The F.I.T network also organises the week-long “informatica feminale” summer school for women in IT and computer science. The 25th “informatica feminale” starts on 29 July on the Schwenningen campus of Furtwangen University, where the anniversary will also be celebrated. More information can be found on the Furtwangen University website: Internal link opens in the same window:https://www.hs-furtwangen.de/en/researching-future/research-projects/fit-network