The Lamarr Institute is committed to promoting women in scientific and technical professions: As part of a taster session offered by the University of Bonn, researchers from the Lamarr Institute conducted a workshop to give female students in grades 10 and up a hands-on look at computer science as a field of study.
“Is studying a math or science subject right for me?” In order to be able to answer this question, over 100 schoolgirls from grades 10 to 13 had the opportunity to get a taste of what it’s like to study. The Taster University was organized by the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, one of four partner organizations of the Lamarr Institute.
The aim of the event, which takes place annually at the end of the winter semester, is to get young women interested in MINT subjects (mathematics, computer science, natural science and technology) and to offer workshops informing on study requirements, structure and content. This year, the Taster University took place in person on February 14 and offered the opportunity to get to know a wide range of subjects: physics, astronomy, chemistry, geodesy, geosciences, meteorology, mathematics and computer science.
What is computer science all about? – Practical insights and a puzzle game
The workshop on computer science was organized by Vanessa Toborek and Sebastian Müller, both of whom also conduct research at the Lamarr Institute. In addition to information about the course of study, the participating schoolgirls were also offered a practical insight into typical programming issues. They were given the task of solving the mathematical puzzle game “Towers of Hanoi” using the “divide-and-conquer” method, i.e. breaking the problem down into small, simpler subproblems in order to solve it as efficiently as possible.
Commitment to education and training and, in particular, the support of women are central concerns of the Lamarr Institute. In order to get young people excited about Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, researchers at the Lamarr Institute are involved in various educational initiatives and programs to promote young talent.
More information:
Taster University of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Bonn.
Taster program of the University of Bonn for all fields of study