On 19 September, a session “Women in science – leaders in the scientific and educational sphere” was held as part of the fourth Eurasian Women’s Forum, which took place on 18-20 September in Saint Petersburg. Among the attendees were representatives of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research: Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Otilia-Ana Culicov, Head of an FLNP JINR sector Inga Zinicovscaia, and a DLNP JINR senior researcher Katherin Shtejer Diaz.

The participants and speakers at the session were women researchers from Austria, China, Cuba, Iran, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, and Zimbabwe. Among them were representatives of scientific organizations, universities, youth associations, and government science and education agencies. The moderator was Chair of the Committee on Science, Education, and Culture of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Lilia Gumerova.

Photo: © Roscongress

“The topic of the role of women in science is relevant to our country, Eurasian states, and is on the modern international agenda. Together, we have been systematically promoting it through the Eurasian Women’s Forum since 2021, enriching our discussions with specific ideas, projects, and events. Our section is one of the most relevant ones at the forum,” she stressed in her opening speech. Lilia Gumerova noted that many participants proposed specific actions and initiatives aimed at strengthening the role of women in modern science. Science and technology play an important role in shaping a sustainable direction of civilisation development and allow to assess the risks and possible dangers that humanity might face along the way. “Today, solving global issues requires international cooperation involving women. We pay close attention to improving scientific diplomacy. Women play a special role in this direction not only as leaders in science, but also as guardians of family, aesthetics, peace, and dialogue,” Lilia Gumerova concluded.

At the beginning of the session, participants have watched a video message by Acting President of the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) of Egypt, Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt in JINR Gina El-Feky. She mentioned that there are still many limits in education, science, and technology in the developing countries.

“Women must constantly be aware of these challenges and take them into account when working. We must admit there is still much to be done in this regard. As ASRT Acting President, I have seen women take an active part in advancing science. Women researchers are at the frontier of innovation in solving the world’s most complicated problems in science and education. We continue to strive for equality and must support policies to provide women with equal opportunities in science, paying special attention to supporting young women researchers,” Gina El-Feky said.

Head of the JINR International Cooperation Department Otilia-Ana Culicov shared the idea that the main qualities for a woman scientist today is strength of mind and authority. “We have to remember Marie Curie’s words that you cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals, and to this end, each of us must become better and at the same time bear common responsibility for all of humanity. Today, more than ever, I am convinced that the public role of a woman scientist is to confidently and consistently advocate for the preservation of goodness, humanity, and communication bridges in the global scientific community,” highlighted Otilia-Ana Сuliсov. On the example of JINR’s experience, he demonstrated how important it is to involve women scientists in solving administrative tasks not only in research, but also in those departments of the organization that may not seem to be directly connected to science, such as the human resources and international relations departments.

Using the example of her scientific career, a DLNP JINR senior researcher Katherin Shtejer Diaz spoke about the importance of international scientific and technical cooperation as an impetus for the career growth of Cuban women researchers. Katherin Shtejer Diaz was born in Cuba and completed her higher education there, defended her thesis at CERN, and has been working at JINR for the last seven years. She noted that Cuban students regularly participate in JINR summer internships, with 55% of them being young women.

“Despite economic difficulties, Cuba has significant intellectual potential thanks to an inclusive state policy aimed at developing education among all strata,” she said. In Cuba, women constitute more than half of the employees in science, technology, and innovation. They are entrusted with more than 40% of responsible research jobs. “In the Cuban Academy of Sciences, 34% of members are women. 60% of Academy’s Board of Directors are women, which is one of the highest rates in the world,” Katherin Shtejer Diaz said, emphasising the active role of women scientists in advancing Cuban economic and social life. Among the challenges that require Cuban government support, Katherin Shtejer Diaz highlighted a pause in scientific career, which women require during pregnancy.

At the end of JINR representatives’ speeches, Lilia Gumerova made a proposal that the Joint Institute, as an international intergovernmental organization, acts as a platform for cooperation in promoting the women’s agenda and expressed gratitude to JINR Director, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Grigory Trubnikov for conducting activities to support women researchers.