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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

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

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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.'

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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?’

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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 faced by members of the Aalto community.

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Walk in my shoes, illustration by Anna Muchenikova.
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Research & Art Published:

Create your CV easily with the Research.fi profile tool

Aalto University’s researchers can now create a CV using the CV tool in the Research tool service. The tool generates an editable Word CV based on your Research.fi profile information, following the official TENK CV template.
Text 'LABORATORY of HOPE' on a red and pink gradient background. 'HOPE' is highlighted in yellow.
Research & Art, Studies Published:

Are you tired of bad news?

The Laboratory of Hope exhibition presents ideas for a brighter future from 5th February to 27th March 2026
Three people in a park with mountains in the background. One sits on a bench, two stand facing the scenery.
Cooperation, Research & Art, Studies, University Published:

Apply to be a guest professor or visiting researcher at the Université Grenoble Alpes

Unite! partner, Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) has opened a call to host international professors and researchers for short stays.
Centre photo of Eloi Moliner and teammates on conference stage, surrounded by images of his awards.
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art Published:

Postdoctoral researcher Eloi Moliner makes history as a 5-time award winner

Eloi Moliner is one of the most decorated doctoral researchers in Aalto University's history – we would like to highlight his success and contributions to the field of audio signal processing