On the Importance of Role Models in Science - A Conference by Catherine Goldstein and Clémence Perronnet, April 4, 2024
3 videos • 165 views • by Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) On April 4th, 2024, IHES hosted a conference featuring mathematician and historian of mathematics Catherine Goldstein, and sociologist Clémence Perronet. The focus was on female role models and how they can, or cannot, contribute to advancing gender equality in the sciences. This event, entirely conducted in English, marked the arrival of Université Paris-Saclay's “Just Do Maths!” exhibition at the Marilyn & Jim Simons Conference Center at IHES. In France, mathematics ranks among the least gender-equal disciplines in higher education and research. The book “Matheuses – Les filles, avenir des mathématiques” by Clémence Perronnet, Claire Marc, and Olga Paris-Romaskevich—with a preface by Catherine Goldstein— analyzes the causes of social inequalities in mathematics and highlights various means that could bring change. During their presentation, Catherine Goldstein and Clémence Perronnet drew on their research and focus on a specific chapter of the book that addresses the issue of role models in science. They reflected on the place of women in the depiction of mathematics and on the conditions under which role models can effectively encourage the aspirations and career paths of female students. The event was moderated by Audrey Antoine, a student in the Applied Algebra master’s program at Université Paris-Saclay.