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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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