Girls' Day and Boys' Day at CSMC

Since 2002, the Girls’ Day gives schoolgirls the opportunity to spend a day getting to know professions that have so far been predominantly practised by men, especially in technical fields and the natural sciences. Since 2011, there has also been a parallel Boys’ Day, which, in turn, aims to interest boys in jobs with a high proportion of women. The number of participating institutions has constantly been growing. In 2023, the action day included over 13,000 opportunities for girls and over 7,000 opportunities for boys nationwide.

This year, CSMC took part in the programme for the first time, with offers for both girls and boys. The two groups focused on different aspects of the study of written artefacts that come together at the Cluster. 

The girls focused mainly on the material analysis of written artefacts. They learned about different methods in material science, which are used to study the biological and chemical properties of manuscripts and other handwritten objects in order to learn more about how and when they were created.

For the boys, the focus was on topics in cultural studies. Why do people write? What do they write with and what writing supports do they use? How has writing developed over time and in different cultures? The programme included practical introductions to Japanese book bindings, cuneiform clay tablets, graffiti, and miniature Korans.

The event was a great success, with both programmes being fully booked and well received by the participants, who made the most of the day by engaging very lively in the activities and asking our researchers a lot of smart and interesting questions.  We would like to thank everyone who was involved and look forward to the Girls’ Day and Boys’s Day 2024.