HAII Women at the 5th Women* in Computing Workshop
Last week on Thursday, 07.05.2026, the women of the HAII group at TU Dortmund and RC Trust went to Berlin to attend the 5th workshop on “Women* in Computing: Finding Balance – Juggling Obligations, Working Domains, Work & Life”.
As every year, the workshop was supported by the DFG SFB TRR 161 and its team (including Prof. Anke Reinschlüssel and Prof. Tiare Feuchtner). This year, the workshop was hosted by Prof. Tanja Döring at TU Berlin and focused on how to find your way in academia as a woman, stay healthy, and take care of yourself while being successful.
The day started with networking and finger food, followed by quick introductions during which the organizers, speakers, and participants shared insights into their backgrounds, research, and aspects of their private lives, such as hobbies and family.
The first talk session began with a presentation by Neha Kumar, who is currently the SIGCHI president and professor at Georgia Tech. Her comparison of having a full jar to having a fulfilled life filled with many “rocks” was a great analogy for building a meaningful life around the things that truly matter and make us happy: “if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you will never get it full.” She continued by talking about the importance of care in general, and we found her presentation both empowering and inspiring. Prof. Giulia Barbareschi from the University of Duisburg-Essen then spoke about finding her own way of managing life in academia and shared valuable tips on dealing with imposter syndrome and time management.
After a short coffee break, the second talk session shifted the focus from women’s experiences in academia to those in industry. Carla De Angelis, who works at Ecolab and, alongside her academic career, brings over 20 years of industry experience, spoke about working and setting priorities in a high-stakes environment while maintaining a fulfilling life, especially as a mother. Ghada Helal shared her inspiring career journey and spoke about how she balances family life, work, and building a community for women.
To conclude, all participants were invited to contribute personal questions for the presenters on a shared Miro board. Everyone then voted on the questions, and the most popular ones were discussed during the final group activity.
The day ended with a thought-provoking visit to the Futurium museum, where we explored how we want to live in the future and the many possible futures that are open for discussion and a dinner at Weltwirtschaft. Through interactive exhibitions across the themes of technology, nature, and humanity, we were invited to discover possible future scenarios and reflect on our own perspectives around controversial topics. It was a perfect ending to an inspiring and empowering day filled with meaningful conversations, valuable insights, and opportunities to connect with other women in computing.
