Peace activist and Nobel Laureate, Berta von Suttner; film star Hedy Lamarr; internationally renowned nuclear physicist, Lise Meitner. These are just a few of the extraordinary women featured in a special exhibit hosted recently at McMaster.

The travelling exhibit, CALLIOPE Austria: Women in Society, Culture and the Sciences, showcases outstanding Austrian women, all trailblazers in their fields, who left their mark on their country and made a lasting contribution to the empowerment of women worldwide.

The exhibit, which contains portraits and biographies of some of Austria’s most influential women of the past 200 years, was created by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA). It was on display at McMaster from September 3 – 14 in Mills and Thode libraries, and has also been featured at a number of universities across Canada.

Bernhard Faustenhammer, Deputy Head of Mission at the Austrian Embassy, and Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum in Ottawa, was on campus last week to attend a reception in honour of the exhibit.

“We’re really thankful for Canadian universities’ warm and welcoming attitude toward the exhibit,” says Faustenhammer who, during his visit to campus, met with several students from the University of Innsbruck currently studying at McMaster, and had the opportunity to speak with McMaster staff and faculty members.

“This is a very relevant topic to both Canada and Austria,” he continues. “This exhibit shows there is so much that we can discuss together, reflect upon together and hopefully contribute together to the great empowerment and equality between men and women in our societies going forward.”

McMaster’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) hosted the exhibit, as well as the reception which was organized by Tania Hakim, Project Officer, International Project Development, OIA.

“This exhibit is indicative of the contributions that women have made, not just in Austria, but all over the world,” says McMaster’s Vice-Provost, International Affairs, Peter Mascher. “This is a way to highlight those contributions as part of our ongoing discussions on inclusivity, diversity and equity, here on campus and in society.”

Over the next year, the exhibit will be on display at universities in the Maritimes, Quebec and New Brunswick and will be part of celebrations marking the United Nations International Women’s Day in Ottawa.

Read more about the many extraordinary women featured in CALLIOPE Austria: Women in Society, Culture and the Sciences.