More women HPC experts on stage!
More women HPC experts on stage!
Getting into High-Performance Computing (HPC) is just as straightforward – or just as challenging – for women as it is for men in Europe. The real hurdle, however, is visibility, particularly for women at the start of their careers, says HPC expert Marta Maj. The Women in HPC initiative is working to change that.
Marta, you are a founding member of the Central European Chapter of Women in HPC (WHPC) and have set out to support women in HPC. What would you say are the key problems for your female colleagues that urgently need to be addressed?
I would say one of the core problems is visibility. We are aware that there are female experts in HPC, but we don’t know who they are. Men are more visible in the scene, at events – it’s just easier to find them. Speaking of events, we often simply don’t know which women we could involve. We want to create more opportunities and help more women become visible. Of course, there are already female experts you know, but if you want to bring in new names, it’s a challenge.
What could a young woman do to get into HPC? Do you have any advice?
In Poland, it's super easy, because the HPC resources for the scientific community are free.
So if you’re studying at any university in Poland, you can just log into the portal https://plgrid.pl and get access to HPC resources to start doing stuff. It’s really simple – there’s online documentation, and a help desk that answers all your questions. There are also free trainings for all levels, funded by the EuroCC project.
In general, the easiest way to start is while you are still at the university, where you can use HPC for a scientific project and often get help from the scientific community.
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I’d love to have lots of active members – not just women. We invite men to join us too.
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The Central European Chapter of WHPC, which you co-founded, is still very young. Where do you see it in five years’ time?
I would love to have regular events or meetings and an ongoing online communication channel so we can all stay in touch. And I’d love to have lots of active members–not just women. We invite men to join us too. And I’d love us to become a go-to organisation–if you’re organising a conference in Central Europe and want a more diverse environment, come to us.
WHPC is also about celebrating each other’s achievements. Let’s do that right now: what has been your most recent personal success in your job?
I found a new person to join my team. He will help us build stronger connections with business environment and engage more companies in the ecosystem. I’m looking forward to that.
How more diversity in high-performance computing benefits everyone
Supercomputing plays a central role in modern research. When people with different perspectives work together at high-performance computing centres, this diversity has far-reaching effects: more inclusive product designs, better data and more representative science. Diverse teams usually develop solutions that serve the majority of the population – not just half of it.
About Marta Maj
Marta Maj is an HPC specialist and project manager at the Academic Computer Centre Cyfronet AGH, one of the largest supercomputing and networking centres in Poland. She’s coordinating the EuroCC and Fortissimo projects, both funded by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking. Marta started her career in HPC at an automotive company before moving to Cyfronet.
Join WHPC and connect with women in ICT
To become a member of the Central European Chapter of WHPC, apply here. Tick the box “Central European (incl. centres in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary)” to become a member of the Central European Chapter.
If you have any questions about the Central European Network of WHPC, feel free to contact the team at ce.whpc@gmail.com.
One of WHPC’s most valuable tools for supporting women’s careers is the free mentoring programme, which runs two to three times a year. Register here for one of the next available spots.
WHPC on LinkedIn (following on LinkedIn is not a membership)