EKSPLA has joined the celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11 and took part in ‘Girls in Science’, an initiative by the Šiauliai Centre for Technological Creativity.

This year, the online event had the participation of 1,037 students from 52 Lithuanian schools. Our own team member Eglė Krištopavičiūtė told the bountiful audience about her career and her choice to become a laser engineer.

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science has been celebrated since 2015.

EUROSTAT says that the percentage of female researchers and technological specialists in Lithuania is among the largest in the European Union.

Statistics show that the fields of science and engineering are dominated by men, yet the situation in Lithuania is somewhat more cheerful. Of all the EU regions, the largest portion of women engaged in the field of science and technology in 2021 was reported in Lithuania and in Latvia, with women accounting for a staggering 63 per cent of all researchers and engineers in Lithuania, compared to 51 per cent in 2019.

The larger number of women in the fields of science, technology, and engineering promotes diversity and drives companies’ ability to attract talent, giving the country a better overall competitive edge.

EKSPLA is actively engaged in educating students on how exciting it is to work in the laser industry.

In December, our own team member Aistis Jurkonis delivered a report titled Mastering Lasers and Acquiring Superpowers at the STEAM EDSTART Šiauliai conference for students. The report was broadcast online to an audience of 2,702 students.