On April 25, higher education institutions, including the University of Miskolc, welcomed high school students interested in technical careers to Girls’ Day. Thirteen years ago, Girls’ Day was launched by the Women for Science Association to promote technical sciences among girls.
This is the day when thousands of young girls can get lifelong inspirations for their career choices. It’s the day the country’s universities and research institutes offer a behind-the-scenes look, and it’s the day science, technology and engineering careers open up to girls.
According to the latest statistics, there are currently 529 women studying at the three technical faculties of the Miskolc campus, which is close to 26 percent of the workforce. The proportion of women is Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineeringon is the highest (136 women – 37 percent), this a Technical Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences followed by (125 women – 27.4 percent), then a Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics follows (268 women – 13.2 percent).
Three faculties of the institution organized different and spectacular programs on the occasion of Girls’ Day on Thursday, which attracted almost 100 young ladies from Miskolc, our county, and other parts of the country. As a novelty this year, the girls could choose from the different tours in the morning, which gave them the opportunity to plan their morning independently and freely. Some programs, such as jewelry making, were launched in several rounds.
THE Technical Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciencesyou, Mádainé Uveges Valeria according to the assistant professor, the girls were able to learn about several topics, such as the world of minerals and rocks that are thousands of years old at the mineral exhibition, but they could also see the paleontology exhibition and hear an interesting presentation about how gemstones look in their unpolished form. In addition, they were able to participate in the exhibition of the educational mine established within the university. In relation to environmental protection, they could carry out various measurements, for example, the students could find out how acidic cola is, they could make home fresheners, and they could also see the water hydrology lab.
– I am very interested in nature, including water, and its preservation. I see how important it is in our everyday life and what kind of pollution it is exposed to, he said Fruzsina hopswho came from the Szent János Greek Catholic High School and Vocational School in Edeleny because he wants to continue his studies in this field so that he can later do something for the sake of the cleanliness and protection of our waters.
Helga Kovács, lecturer and head of the Faculty of Materials and Chemical Engineering, explained that this year they moved in the direction of jewelry making, as they want to arouse the interest of students with new programs every year. Two out of four programs introduced the girls to the mysteries of jewelry making, during which they could make a trinket themselves while encountering different materials and technologies. The girls were also able to see a spectacular chemical experiment and were introduced to microscopy, which was already connected to the examination of materials.
Ádám Barbara Liliána, came from Avas High School, specifically because of jewelry making. Last year, he attended the programs of another faculty, but he will come next year as well, because he does not yet have a concrete idea of which faculty to vote for. He trusts that these programs will make his choice easier.
Szilvia Árvai-Homolya, associate professor of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Informatics, told our newspaper that the interested parties were introduced to the exciting world of mathematics. A presentation flashed before the girls what human life would be like without mathematics, and also highlighted that without mathematics, the devices around us would not work. In addition, the students also dealt with strange and interesting mathematical phenomena and many current issues, such as the practical use of solar cells. The girls were able to see demonstrations of the mechatronics lab and participate in coding. A special element of the programs was the MyOrientify career counseling software, where you could get first-hand information about further education opportunities, the beauty and difficulties of the technical career, and employment opportunities.
Ágota Konc, from the Herman Ottó High School in Miskolc, chose this faculty with several of his classmates because he is attracted to technical sciences. – We came here because the university and the faculties are presented here in a comprehensive, specific and targeted way, i.e. specifically for us girls – the high school student explained the decision.
In addition to laboratory visits and professional presentations, as well as experiments, the girls also had the opportunity to have direct conversations and hear about student traditions in Miskolc.
