Technical University of Munich: Getting young women excited about natural science and technology

Getting young women excited about STEM subjects – that’s one of the goals ExploreTUM has committed itself to from the start. Now these efforts will be taken to a new level: TUM has signed a partnership with the non-profit Hg Foundation. The 750,000 euros in funding will support projects at schools to help girls and young women find their passion for technology and the natural sciences.

“Natural science and technology – that’s not for girls!’ Unfortunately, you still hear such sentences. With our program, we want to counter this persistent stereotype. And the first test runs at schools show: The mix of exciting project topics, hands-on exposure and authentic role models works.” – Christine Hager, Head of ExploreTUM

“MINT-Impulse an der Schule” – part of the TUM Entdeckerinnen program.
Despite the commitment to achieving equal opportunity, gender stereotyping remains strong. Many professional fields in mathematics, natural sciences, computer science and technology are still regarded as male domains. Although more and more young women are choosing to study in these fields, they remain a minority. Encouraging personal experiences during their school years can provide important impetus to get more young women interested in STEM subjects. This is precisely where ExploreTUM’s programs and projects come in.

TUM’s grant from the Hg Foundation supports “MINT-Impulse an der Schule” (STEM impulses at school) – a mobile program developed specifically for 14 to 16-year-old girls in the 9th and 10th grades. The program targets various schools throughout Bavaria that face barriers accessing extracurricular programs, either due to lack of resource, or simply because they are in more remote, rural locations. The individual projects focus on hands-on learning: Female scientists from TUM visit the school to spend a school day working with the female pupils. In this way, they provide them with a practical insight into their own field of research and can act as important role models.

The Hg Foundation grant
The Hg foundation was formed in 2020 with the goal to make an impact on the development of skills most required for employment within the technology industry, focusing on individuals who may otherwise experience barriers to access. The Hg Foundation is backed by Hg, a leading software and services investor.



“TUM is one of the world’s leading technical research universities and they have put forward some truly inspiring female instructors for the program. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together.” Cornelius Becker, Trustee at the Hg Foundation

Thanks to the financial support of the Hg Foundation, TUM is able to hire additional people for the “MINT-Impulse”, develop further projects and provide new material. It also enables scientific monitoring of the programs in order to evaluate the long-term benefits and thus create a basis for further development. Because also in STEM, the future will be more female.