Girls for Science 2026: Making quantum careers visible

More than 60 students came to MPQ to meet women working across quantum science and discover the many different paths a career in physics can take.

For the second year running, MCQST welcomed young women from across Bavaria and beyond to Girls for Science at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ). Through keynote talks, a panel discussion, speed-mentoring and behind-the-scenes lab tours, students in grades 9 to 12 gained first-hand insights into quantum science -  and met the women building careers in research, industry, education and science communication.

Modeled on the Perimeter Institute's Inspiring Future Women in Science format, the event was built around one simple idea: seeing is believing. When young women meet scientists who look like them and hear how varied and human the path into physics really is, the field stops feeling abstract — and starts feeling possible.

There is no one path into quantum physics

Three keynote talks opened the day, each showing a different route into — and through — a career in quantum science.

Sabrina Patsch, science journalist at c't magazin von heise, opened with an introduction to quantum physics before sharing her own story: pursuing a PhD as a first-generation academic (Arbeiterkind), then moving into science journalism — proof that a physics PhD can lead into communication just as easily. 

Monika Aidelsburger, Professor of Experimental Physics at LMU Munich and Group Leader at MPQ, gave a window into her research manipulating individual atoms to simulate quantum computers, cooling them with lasers to temperatures colder than outer space. Her enthusiasm for the research and insightful presentation, sparked a wave of questions and was a clear highlight of the day. 

Isabella Fritsche, currently working as a quantum hardware engineer at planqc, spoke about her less conventional route into the field, about staying true to and following her passions, and about her journey at planqc — from the start-up phase to now leading a team and a project building quantum computers. She also emphasized a crucial aspect: community. Finding and supporting a network of other women in the field is essential — a reminder that lifting each other up is just as important as the science itself.

A panel on breaking down preconceptions

Doctoral candidate Nina Miller (TUM) moderated a panel of four researchers at different career stages, spanning academia, industry, and education. We were delighted to have Lisa Krüger (PhD at TUM), Johanna Oefele (Teaching Assistant at LMU), Dorothee Tell (Postdoc at MPQ) and Gwenaelle Vest (Head of Systems at Q.ANT GmbH) offer insights into their unique experiences. 

The conversation ranged from confronting preconceptions about who belongs in physics to handling setbacks and following your own interests. One message came through clearly: a physics degree opens far more doors than people expect — shaping technology in industry, advancing research in the lab, sparking an "aha moment" by builduing experiments and running them in the lecture hall or actively building the community you wish to have. 

Speed-mentoring and lab lours

After lunch, students paired one-on-one with early-career researchers — master's students, PhD candidates, postdocs, and science communicators — for open conversations about next steps and balancing ambition with everyday reality.

The day closed with tours through some of Munich's quantum labs: the many-body systems lab and attoworld group at MPQ, the quantum sensing lab at TUM, and planqc — all these marking the moment the day's talks became tangible.

The takeaway

Trust your instincts, pursue what excites you, and treat setbacks as learning rather than failure — the most meaningful rewards, several speakers noted, tend to lie on the other side of the hardest problems.

A huge thank-you to all the speakers, mentors, and participants who made this year's Girls for Science a success. We're already looking forward to next year.

The event was organized by the Cluster of Excellence "Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology" (MCQST) together with the PhotonLab, based on the concept developed by Perimeter Institute, Canada. 

Further information and a photo gallery from the Girls for Science 2026 event are available on the MCQST website. LInk