News

Maarit Korpi-Lagg: I have so few female colleagues that sometimes it’s difficult to maintain self-esteem

In this video, Professor of Astroinformatics Maarit Korpi-Lagg shares her childhood dream and how it feels to work in the midst of the many male researchers and professors.
Maarit Korpi-Lagg, photo by by Matti Ahlgren
‘My biggest dream since I was a child was to understand astronomical objects. Then, I have focused most of my career in understanding the sun,' says Maarit Korpi-Lagg. Photo: Matti Ahlgren.

'It’s of course a daunting task for a female professor to do something as great as these recognised professors. Sometimes it’s difficult to maintain self-esteem in a situation where there are so few female colleagues. Both in physics and computer science there are very few female researchers and professors. Last year we had a celebration because the first female student passed my course. It was a big thing for me,' says Professor Maarit Korpi-Lagg.

The video has been produced by the European Commission and it has been directed by Kasia and Dawid Kissinger.

Maarit Korpi-Lagg turned her childhood hobbies into a living

As a child, Maarit Korpi-Lagg was interested in the stars and coding, and now she researches the activity of the sun, which could not be done without computer science

Read more
Nainen seisoo ja katsoo sivulle hymyillen kädet puuskassa. Hänellä on päällään musta paita ja sininen huivi ja aurinko värjää taustaa vaaleaksi.

See more videos

Minna Halme, photo by Hayley Le

Minna Halme: At first, sustainability wasn’t taken seriously

'I was told to do a doctoral thesis on a different topic if I want a job in the future.'

News
Saban Ramadani, Photo by Hayley Le

Saban Ramadani: Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?

‘When you are expected to come up with something quickly, for instance, in visual arts, is the purpose itself lost in the creative process? Is it radical to create a rocket in a week?’

News

Walk in my shoes

Inspired by the saying that you should walk a mile in someone’s shoes to understand them, the ‘Walk in my shoes’ series aims to share some of the experiences, thoughts, perspectives and challenges...

Read more
Walk in my shoes, illustration by Anna Muchenikova.
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Group of people sit around a wooden table discussing, with large maps pinned on the wall behind them.
Research & Art Published:

How trust in digital public services is being built together with migrants in Espoo

Digital public services are not equally accessible to everyone. In Espoo, the Trust-M research project is working to bridge this gap by developing services together with migrants.
Blue e-scooter parked in marked bay on paved path
Press releases, Research & Art Published:

E-scooters are here to stay – first global study maps the state of shared micromobility

Shared e-scooters, city bikes and other small vehicles have evolved from niche experiments into a standard part of urban transport worldwide. Rather than treating micromobility as a passing trend, public authorities should take an active role in shaping its development, researchers argue.
Modern light wood and metal building on a slope, surrounded by tall green trees under blue sky
Research & Art Published:

Aalto University presents circular economy solutions at the New European Bauhaus festival

The European Commission’s New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative will bring together leading experts and changemakers from across Europe in Brussels this June to shape a more sustainable future.
MyCourses activity
Studies Published:

MyCourses maintenance break Mon 15 June, 2026 at 9.00-17.00

MyCourses maintenance break on 15 June 2026 starting at 9.00. During this break, the service is not in use.