The International Day of Women and Girls in Science takes place on February 11th and it was establshed by the United Nations Assembly. This event aims to create awareness about the underappreciated role that women and girls have in STEM fields.
MESA Group - MESA, PROCOMP, OVERNET and MEVB - is committed to promoting female empowering and women professionally self-realization.
In order to achieve equal access, we want to offer role model and an innovative point of view towards girls’ presence in STEM. So, we share with you the experiences of Giulia Hadjiandrea and Silvia Montante: they’ll tell us about their experience as Junior Analyst and Digital Transformation Analyst in MESA.
Women in STEM: the interview with Giulia Hadjiandrea, Digital Transformation Analyst: "Gender diversity improves innovation, profitability and productivity"
Born in 1995, Giulia Hadjiandrea has graduated with honors in Economics from the University of Stirling. Her thesis was on "Marriage rate and the business cycle: how Unemployment affects couples’ formation in the UK".
She had a strong interest in statistic applied to economics, so she started the study of Data Science, a broad subject that allowed her to connect with our business reality. In fact, after her studies in Scotland, Giulia chose MESA for her first working experience.
She is now a Digital Transformation Analyst and works with Whistleblowing apps, Machine Learning and Time Series forecast.
- You have a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Data Science and Economics Master: what is the biggest challenge you had in this educational journey?
- Two biggest obstacles: language and the process of integration with a foreign university. There were so many cultural differences that I had to relate to.
The switch from Scotland to Italy brought many difficulties, too, such as a different university system. The master’s in Data science and economics required more specific technical knowledge but I acquired it through study and dedication. This was the key, as well as a familiarity with the use of computers systems, hardware and software and programming. After my studies, I started the internship in MESA, where I was able to use theoretical concept in a practical way.
- Two biggest obstacles: language and the process of integration with a foreign university. There were so many cultural differences that I had to relate to.
- Statistics and economics are connected in your internship in MESA thanks to the Data Science: in the projects you worked on, how did you take advantage of your studies?
- I learned the main programming languages R and Python in college which was very useful for my internship at MESA. Thus, I was able to learn the company language, SQL: it’s for access and extract data. In the first part of the training, I learned how to relate to Machine Learning artificial intelligence in a practical and fast way.
I also helped with the internationalization process, supporting the relationships with foreign customers.
- I learned the main programming languages R and Python in college which was very useful for my internship at MESA. Thus, I was able to learn the company language, SQL: it’s for access and extract data. In the first part of the training, I learned how to relate to Machine Learning artificial intelligence in a practical and fast way.
- After your bachelor, you came back to Italy: why did you choose MESA?
- Because of the attention in inclusivity and diversity and, for and foremost, the internationalization. After the internship and the training, now I’m an apprentice and this is the demonstration of MESA interests in its employees: it invests in their future, in their life and now, as you can see with this campaign, in the battle against stereotypes and gender gap in STEM.
- You studied in UK, did you see any differences between Italy and UK in supporting girls in STEM?
- I have lived university life in UK and the institutions are more committed than in Italy: they offered paths and scholarships; they are really into it. For examples: there are countless associations and networks for women and girls in science undertake to support them.
- According to your opinion, what can MESA and other companies do to be more attractive to girls with STEM degrees?
- I think that it would be great increasingly improve gender equality, for example in the composition of teams or departments, and promote corporate interest in STEM women. Often, it's STEM women themselves who carry unconscious biases and streotypes: we have the duty to help them in their self-realization. I truly believe gender diversity increase a company’s innovation, profitability and productivity, so it’s fundamental for companies to attract women to STEM fields.
- MESA4STEM: an interview with Cristina Fallarini, OverNet trainer in software engineering
- MESA4STEM: space for talent and added value of our Junior Analyst girls
- MESA4STEM, the value of being women and an Oracle trainer: Paola Sonetto
- MESA4STEM, Romina Fiorenza professor of JAVA: no more gender stereotypes, women are definitely capable of excelling in science