PHOTO // How UTM students turned International Women’s Day into a manifesto of innovation and leadership  

In an ever-changing world, technology is redefining every aspect of our lives. The Technical University of Moldova, in collaboration with FAF NGO and UTM TEKEDU Club, organized within the National Institute of Innovations in Cybersecurity “Cybercor” – ,,She-novate”, an event dedicated to innovative ladies who use technology to change the world.

Open to both girls and boys, ,,She-novate” brought together pupils, students and professionals interested in areas such as technology, entrepreneurship and personal development. The event brought female innovation and leadership to the forefront, providing opportunities for learning, networking and inspiration.

As avowed supporters of diversity and technology education, TEKEDU Club and FAF NGO, in partnership with the Technical University of Moldova (TUM), promote an inclusive and opportunity-packed environment for talented young people in the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) fields. These initiatives aim to provide the necessary resources to support the development of a new generation of professionals to meet the technological challenges of the future. Through educational projects, hackathons, mentoring sessions and collaborative activities, TEKEDU and FAF facilitate students’ interaction with industry experts and give them the chance to develop personally and professionally.

Photo: Facebook/UTM – Technical University of Moldova

During the event, participants took part in a series of workshops designed to combine soft and technical skills:

• Gender mobbing – with Dina Barcari (anthropologist, PhD in philosophy, university lecturer, UTM);
• Project management – with Elizabet Grinciuc (senior expert at the IT Governance and Project Management Directorate, National Bank of Moldova);
• CV/LinkedIN – with Anastasia Iarovoi (Career Counselor, Vector Academy);
• Hands-on – with Daniela Grosu (Tekedu mentor), Vitalie Calaev (Orange Digital Center Mentor, FabLab), Cătălin Drogoman (management and organization specialist, MicroLab), Elena Timbur (Tekedu mentor), Ana-Maria Gîlca (graphic designer, Tekwill Academy), Nicoleta Guțu (trainer coordinator, Tekedu), Tatiana Popescu (Tekedu mentor), Mihaela Ermurachi (Tekedu mentor);
• Tech – with Elena Graur (machine learning engineer, Sigmoid), Cristina Lîniuc-Șerșun (Ruby on Rails Developer, Salt Edge), Liliana Spatari (web/data analyst, Orange and Community Fibre), Daria Covalenco (delivery lead/agile coach, Amdaris).

The soft skills workshops aimed to improve the planning and communication skills essential for a successful career in technology and to capitalize on experience and skills to make a great impression on employers.

And in the hands-on and tech workshops, young people unleashed their creativity, creating origami flowers and unique postcards inspired by femininity and appreciation.