Repository: UIHistories Project: SWE - Proceedings of the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists [PAGE 259]

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SYMPOSIUM ON DEVELOPING ENGINEERING AND SCIENTIFIC TALENT Statement by Dipl.-Ing. Jlse Knott-ter Meer, VDI Nurmberg, Germany

As in most other countries, there are only a few women engineers in Germany, but more and more are wanted. Because of the progress in all technical fields more engineers are wanted everywhere and women engineers can help fill this need and can do so by performing very important work. Another matter is notable: Looking at Russia it is interesting to see that there a lot of women engineers are employed, and they consider it very important to give many women a good technical education. In Germany we have women who came in different ways into their profession: There are Diplo-Ingenieure (Dr.-Ingenieure), those who have completed baccalaureateexamina at the Technical Universities; We have women engineers who got their education at Technical Schools or Schools for Engineers; We have women who learned their technical skills on the job in different factories or laboratories and were employed later as engineers; We have women who had to take over the engineering work in their own firm by illness or death of their husbands. To discover and to develop the technical talents of girls and women it is very important to inform them of how women are working today in technical fields and to let them have contact with these women and women engineers. So it is necessary to publish news about these women and their work. It is also important that the teachers of the youth get acquainted with these matters. To provide the opportunities to publish such information we in Germany have arranged meetings of women engineers in connection with the "Deutschen Ingenieurtag" which take place every two years in different towns. Thousands of engineers, also some from abroad, take part in these Conferences. In 1960 on the "Deutschen Ingenieurtag" in Hamburg, we had a first meeting of women engineers. There were about 30 women engineers; they spoke together and each of them told of her education, her work and also of her difficulties. In 1962 at the Deutschen Ingenieurtag" in Karlsruhe, we had a meeting of Women Engineers, and papers were given concerning: (1) the work of a women engineer in the Deutschen Patentamt (Patent Office), (2) possibilities for women in the engineering profession, and (3) a business women as technical manager of a factory for electrical appliances. This year we shall have the Deutsche Ingenieurtag 1964" at Munich; there we shall have three papers by women engineers. One of them is occupied in the Chemical Industries, the second one at IBM, and the third is a textile engineer. Another matter is important. After marriage the women engineer or scientist should try not to lose connection with her profession. During the years she has to spend most of her time and energy on her family or her children, she should try to continue her studies; then later she will have the possibility to return to her profession and to do good and satisfying work. So we consider it very important that the "First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists" is taking place and we are very thankful to the members of the Society of Women Engineers that they have arranged it. VI-24