Dr. Ellen Walther-Klaus is managing director of the “MINT – Creating the Future” platform, an initiative that promotes MINT careers. MINT is far from people, is frightening, not for women and creative minds - in the interview she dispels these prejudices.
UNIGLOBALE: Ms. Dr. Walther-Klaus, you yourself studied mathematics, physics, computer science and philosophy and later received your doctorate in logic. What fascinated you about these subjects?
I wanted to know what holds the world together deep down. For example, through mathematics as the language of nature. The modeling that is done there has later always helped me to simplify complex things. The diversity of phenomena can thus be brought into an order that can be controlled by humans. Wonderful example: equations of lines. For example, take y = mx +b and you have all the straight lines, all the possible variations with one equation in your hand. That fascinated me. The same thing happened to me with questions about physics and astronomy.
UNIGLOBALE: Did the natural sciences play a big role in your parents' home or your schooling?
Although my father was also interested in scientific questions, he was employed as a hewer in the mining industry. So I'm a typical upwardly mobile child. At school I had no chemistry lessons and only half a year of physics lessons. At the beginning of my physics studies, many people asked: Do you really want to dare to do this? I answered: If I really want to learn it, then I can do it. I wouldn't describe myself as disproportionately talented. I just think a STEM degree isn't rocket science. It's work.
UNIGLOBALE: Why do comparatively few people choose a STEM course of study?
Because many people don't even see the opportunities there are. It is not well known what great opportunities these courses and professions offer, that there are countless connections to everyday life, and that the earning potential and exit opportunities are very good. That's the big problem.
UNIGLOBALE: What possibilities are these, for example?
For example, did you know that the pressure encountered by an ICE train exiting a tunnel is significantly greater than the pressure encountered by a space shuttle re-entering Earth's atmosphere? I find that totally fascinating. But no young people come up with the idea: Wow, we want to design railways! Nobody sees what major challenges lie behind mastering this technologically on Earth. Regional trains, suspension railways, trams, electric buses – they all have problems that are worth studying. This is everyday life, this is what I use every day. A tram like this doesn't drive itself.
UNIGLOBALE: Should more women also have the courage?
But of course. Take the topic of transport logistics, for example B. an airport is snowed in. I definitely think it’s an issue for women. They organize their families and households all day long - they could easily organize an airfield like that.
UNIGLOBALE: The dropout rate in some MINT courses is comparatively high. What can you as a student do about it or perhaps prevent it?
Everyone knows that sometimes you have a slack. Then it's always good to have someone you can turn to. Many students don't even know that their university has alumni clubs. Their members are happy to take on sponsorships, act as coaches, look after their future colleagues and give them tips.
In my opinion, it doesn't always have to be a big university. There are fantastic smaller universities – such as B. in Greifswald. Sometimes I think today: Wow, if I had known that, I would have studied something else, I would have gone somewhere else. So: Inquire! And maybe go in a completely different direction.
UNIGLOBALE: Is it perhaps also due to the teaching? How should it be improved?
More practice, more practical orientation, more integration with companies. All of these problems that I described above can be solved using differential equations. But conversely, hardly anyone knows what differential equations have to do with these everyday problems. It's of very little use to me if I can solve all of this mathematically but don't know how to actually apply it.
UNIGLOBALE: If you could study again today: what would it be?
Maybe geology, geography and urban planning of the future. There are such exciting topics that hardly anyone is aware of. For example, that the largest cities in the world are all at risk of earthquakes. That would be an incentive for me to ask: How should these cities be equipped so that huge catastrophes do not occur?
UNIGLOBALE: Or the drinking water problems. How will we produce drinking water in the future as resources become increasingly scarce?
I don't usually think that way about Goethe, but here he is right: “Just reach into the fullness of human life! and where you put it, that's where it's interesting.” (Faust, Prelude, Funny Person) You can take so many topics. Things get exciting with MINT!
Related articles:
- MINT – an abbreviation makes a career
- “Understanding how things work”
- Series of events organized by the city, university of applied sciences and university at Mainz University of Applied Sciences
- Working in the Internet of Things
- Panda University
- Work that makes you healthy
- Much more than white coats
- The car researchers
- Brandenburg offers interesting career opportunities
- In demand – career in the pharmaceutical industry
Dr. Ellen Walther-Klaus is managing director of the “MINT – Creating the Future” platform, an initiative that promotes MINT careers. MINT is far from people, is frightening, not for women and creative minds - in the interview she dispels these prejudices. UNIGLOBALE: Ms. Dr. Walther-Klaus, you yourself studied mathematics, physics, computer science and philosophy
