This week, I have the pleasure to receive on my podcast a woman with an exceptional background.
Sarah Springman has been rector of one of the world's best universities, ETH, since 2015.
But that's not all.The number 2 at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich is also a top athlete and multiple European Triathlon Champion. For her career-long service to her sport at international level, the Queen of England even made her Commander of the order of the British Empire .
In this discussion, you will understand how the British engineer did to pursue two careers of excellence at the same time. We talk about success, and I understand how the practice of high-level sport has nourished her academic career, and vice versa.
Sarah Springman looks back on her journey in these male-dominated environments and shares her vision of female leadership.
The first female professor in geotechnical engineering in Western Europe explains why social, cultural and gender diversity in science and research is needed. I ask her about the actions taken by ETH to promote greater diversity, and we talk about the cases of sexism that are shaking up the academic world and in particular ETH's cousin, EPFL.
In this podcast, you will discover a strong and resolutely brilliant personality. But I won't tell you more and let you discover this discussion with an extraordinary woman.
03:53 All the brilliant and inspiring women surrounding Sarah Springman
05:40 Highlights from the scientific and sport careers
07:21 Pursuing two careers at the same time
08:50 The idea of success
11:01 How the competitive spirit developed
12:50 Discovering triathlon, and her talent for it
14:55 Is it the role of women to lead the battle for minorities?
15:58 How female leaders have been fighting the coronavirus crisis
18:16 When Sarah Springman was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire
19:35 Bringing sport values in her engineering and academic career
21:00 Being one of the 15 woman out of 250 students studying engineering in Cambridge in 1975
22:30 What takes women back from the STEM fields
25:27 The role of parents in their children’s education
27:16 Being a female leader in a man’s world
30:39 Becoming the first female professor in geotechnical engineering in Western Europe
33:18 Settling in Switzerland, for ETH
35:57 Becoming the 2nd female Rector of the ETH
38:53 The importance of diversity in STEM and research
40:07 How ETH fights for more diversity
41:46 How to improve the gender equality
44:05 Denouncing sexist discrimination at EPFL
To know more about Sarah Springman
To follow the ETH:
Inspiring women for Sarah Springman:
Physicists
Athletes
ETH entrepreneurs and members of the executive board
Vice President of the University of Zurich, Dr. Gabriele Siegert https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/about/management/unileitung/deputypresident.html
Other:
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