Programme: 
Programme_final.pdf (758,95
KB)
From 1996, the European Commission has been contributing to achieving equal opportunities for men and women through mainstreaming tender into all its policies.
In the 1999 Communication "Women and Science - Mobilising women to enrich European Research" (99/76/EC), the Commission gave an overview of the current situation of women in science in the Member States, and agreed to take action in order to increase the number of women participating in European funded research, and to take account of the gender dimension in its research policies. Ten years later, the progress made since then is being analysed and ideas for the future will be debated at the conference.
The sessions will focus on how to attract young girls and boys into research and how to improve the working environment for researchers. Experts and stakeholders involved in research, higher education and in equal opportunities policies are expected to contribute in the debate.
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The conference will focus on how gender management enters into the modernisation process that is currently being carried out at universities and research institutions in many countries. It will also address the role schools play in making science an attractive career choice.
Modernisation is generally focused on funding sources, the relationship between public and private research, protection of intellectual property rights, open source publications etc.
Human resources, however, are often not included as one of the main issues - and gender issues are rarely considered.
However, no true modernisation of universities and research institutions can take place if the social relationships governing these remain based on and ruled by stereotypes - i.e. if excellence is biased or if innovativeness is not promoted through "diverse thinking". Gender-bias is often the source of the more-ingrained stereotypes: tackling it in the management of universities and research institutions could provide the basis for radical change in other fields.
Because the majority of gender-based stereotypes are already acquired at school, discussion on possible measures should start on the school level through the identification and elimination of old-fashioned regulations, teaching methods and teaching materials.
Ten years of EU experience in analysing the situation regarding the field of women in science has demonstrated that the direct commitment of institutions is essential in attracting and keeping women, and men, in science.
The conference will offer the opportunity to highlight best practices, adopted in EU and third country institutions; to discuss these issues and identify which measures could be promoted in the future.
The conference is structured with plenary sessions in the mornings of 14 and 15 May and three parallel sessions in the afternoon of 14 May.
Parallel Session 1: "How to attract young people into research?" looks at measures on the school level, both primary and secondary.
Parallel Sessions 2 & 3: "How to change organisations and the working environment?" will cover the same topic but with some variations. Session 2 will emphasise national solutions (examples of measures from specific countries), whereas the speakers of Session 3 will mostly focus on measures proposed by institutions.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Date and Conference venue
From Thursday 14 May 2009, starting at 09.30 a.m. and ending on Friday 15 May at 13.00 p.m.
NATIONAL SMICHOV PALACE/NARODNI DUM NA SMICHOVE
Namesti 14 rijna 16
150 00 Praha 5
Welcome Desk
A Welcome Desk will be available to participants on Thursday 14 May 2009 from 08.30 a.m. until the end of the conference.
Registration
Participants are requested to register as soon as possible using the "registration on line" form available at the following URL address:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fmi/scic/WOMENSC09/start.php
or through the following website : http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=27
The deadline for registration is 24 April 2009. A confirmation letter will be sent to all participants registered by this deadline.
Programme etc.
For further information about the content of the conference, the latest updates of the programme etc., please consult regularly the Conference Web-page at the following web-address http://ec.europa.eu/research/science-society/index.cfm?fuseaction=public.topic&id=27 or contact:
Ms. Vera Fehnle, European Commission,
Directorate General for Research, Office: SDME 07/84 - B-1049 Brussels.
Fax: +32.2.299 3746 or E-mail: vera.fehnle@ec
europaeu
Interpretation
Simultaneous interpretation will be provided from and into German, English, French and Czech during the plenary sessions.
Fees
There are no registration fees for this conference.
Lunches
The European Commission invites participants to lunch at the conference venue on 14 May 2009.
Travel and accommodation
Participants are expected to organise their own travel and accommodation, the European Commission will not reimburse these expenses.
Information on accommodation and more general information on Prague can be obtained at the following websites:
The nearest metro station, 5 minutes walk is: ANDEL (line B- yellow color)
The nearest tram station is: LIDICKA street - station ZBOROVSKA, trams with n° 4,7,10,14 and 54 (night tram).
Organisation
European Commission, Directorate General for Interpretation, B-1049 Brussels.
Contact: Ms Christine Cordie or Ms Patricia Michl
Office: CHARL 1/87
E-mail: scic-conf-women-and-science-2009@eceuropaeu
