On Dies Academicus in December 2024, a group of 18 female computer science and mathematics students visited Deutsche Welle (DW) in Bonn as part of a company visit. The aim was to gain insights into the professional world of women in IT professions and get to know potential fields of work. The event was organized by our GIDIS (Gender Equality in Information Technology) working group.
Deutsche Welle (DW) is Germany's international foreign broadcaster and produces journalistic content in 32 languages. With its TV, radio and online offerings, DW is aimed in particular at people in regions with limited freedom of the press and contributes to the worldwide dissemination of information. In addition to journalistic activities, the IT sector also plays a central role — from digital infrastructure to cyber security.
Varied program and discussions with experts
The company visit began with a general introduction to the broadcaster and a tour of the studios. Afterward, the participants had the opportunity to talk to employees over lunch in the canteen. In the afternoon, two employees presented their day-to-day work and careers and answered the students' questions. The insight into DW's IT security provided by the Cyber Security Officer was particularly exciting.
Exciting insights into IT security and journalism
Special attention was paid to the area of IT security. The students learned that journalistic work entails particular security risks. News agencies have to work with unprotected data in order not to interrupt the flow of information — a risk that is often avoided in other industries. DW also provides access to information in countries where press freedom is suppressed.
Diversity and equality at DW
A central topic of the visit was the role of women and FINTA (German abbreviation that stands for women, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender people) in IT professions. The statements made by the Deutsche Welle recruiter in particular made it clear that DW attaches great importance to equality. According to the company, the gender ratio is balanced in most areas of the company, right up to management level.
Positive conclusion and outlook
Overall, the visit was very well received by the participants. The open discussions with the employees and the presentation of the cyber security department were met with particular interest. “These company visits show us which not-so-typical jobs and areas of responsibility there are in IT and provide exciting insights into everyday working life, which can be helpful in the transition from studies to work,” said one participant.
The excursion was part of the GIDIS company visits, which regularly offer exciting insights into various industries. Previous visits have taken the participants to the management consultancy d-fine in Frankfurt am Main (December 2022), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA) in Cologne (May 2023), Forschungszentrum Jülich (December 2023) and the digital unit of Rheinische Post Mediengruppe in Düsseldorf (May 2024), among others.
It has not yet been decided where the next company visit will take place on the upcoming Dies Academicus in May 2025. Interested female students can find out about future events via the channels of the GIDIS working group (Discord, mailing list, Instagram) and via the university-wide Equalender.