Summer School - Diversity in the Cultures of Physics

The first Summer School was launched by the Department of Physics at the Free University Berlin. The German-Swedish exchange program for 2012 was realized in co-operation with the Physics Department at Uppsala University.

Additional summer schools with physics research institutions in other European countries are planned for the coming years. They are primarily addressed at young women physicists during the crucial transition phase from master to doctoral studies and the accompanying career and life planning.

                                                                                                               → Contacts

Aims of the Summer School:

 • gain an insight into the variety of physics research in Europe

 • establish contacts which may result in future collaborations and stays abroad while pursuing their graduate work

 • get to know women researchers in physics and professional networks of women scientists

 • learn about national and international advancement programs for women scientists

 • become familiar with work place cultures of physics in actual cultural, political and everyday context

 • learn about equality politics at European universities and research institutions

 • Recognize and explore the diversity in the cultures of physics  

                                                                                                              → Concept

The Berlin-Uppsala Summer School 2012

The students from Germany and Sweden spent 4 weeks together in Berlin (2 weeks) and Uppsala (2 weeks). They visited university physics laboratories and other research facilities. They joined research groups for 1 week in each country in order to get experience in a variety of work and research environments.

In the afternoons the group had the opportunity to contact institutions in science policy, funding agencies and professional organizations. The experiences and insights resulting therefrom constituted an important input in the summer school seminar on gender and its role in science, culture and politics

                                                                  → Course Program for Berlin, August 6 - 17, 2012

 → Course Program for Uppsala, August 20 - 31, 2012

To get an impression of the summerschool you can find the snapshots of the four weeks spent in Berlin and Uppsala here:

 →  Pictures of the Berlin part

 →  Pictures of the Uppsala part