From August 24 to September 4, 2026, I attended the 29th Informatica Feminale at the University of Bremen as part of the Female Student Travel Award from emergenCITY. Informatica Feminale is a summer university where women and FLINTA* individuals come together to participate in workshops on a wide range of topics in computer science. During the two weeks, I took part in several workshops lasting between one and three days. These covered both technical topics and the development of soft skills.

I found the consistently open discussions about personal experiences and structural disadvantages faced by women in computer science, STEM, and leadership positions particularly valuable. Among other things, we critically examined how the proportion of women in computer science has developed historically and discussed the fact that in many countries—even in more conservative countries with fewer rights for women—the proportion of women in computer science is higher than in Germany. Many smaller situations from everyday life at university and in the workplace were also discussed. I heard from many participants that their studies were still comparatively less affected by prejudice, whereas for many, the corresponding challenges became more noticeable only after entering the workforce, particularly in industry. During the two weeks, I was therefore able not only to gain insights into different perspectives, but also to take away concrete coping strategies and experiences that are likely to be helpful in my future professional life.

The accompanying program also offered a variety of insights and opportunities for exchange. In addition to various networking events, there were excursions to different company sites, including Airbus and the Bremen waste-to-energy plant. Guided tours of university facilities, such as the Fabrication Laboratory and the Ambient Assisted Living Lab for smart assistive systems, also provided interesting insights into current research and practical projects.

I will also remember Bremen very fondly. I particularly enjoyed the beautiful historic city center, the friendly people, and the abundance of nature, for example in the Bürgerpark and around Unisee.

For my future academic work, I am taking away not only new technical insights, but above all the diverse experiences of women in computer science. At the same time, the trip showed me how important role models and safe spaces can be—places where people can talk openly about challenges and support one another. It also highlighted how important it is to introduce young girls to technology at an early age, so that they can become confident in using it and later feel empowered to pursue careers in technical fields.

Many thanks to emergenCITY for the Female Student Travel Award and for supporting my trip.

Author: Isabelle Sauer

M.Sc. student in Computer Science at TU Darmstadt. My main areas of study are (low-power) embedded systems, networks, and hardware and network security.