Dr. Mélina Verger

Lab responsibilities

• Co-facilitator of the working group on professional equality, LIP6 lab, (2024, 4mo.) 📸
• Member of the PhD students' council (Conseil des doctorant·e·s), LIP6 lab, (2023, 1yr.)
• Co-chair of a seminar on professional equality
• Reservation of reusable tableware
• Thesis template and guidelines

Campus responsibilities

• Vice-president of SOphIA, student association of Sorbonne University on "AI & Society" (2023, 1yr.)
• Founder and chair of "café philo" debates on current, societal issues related to AI
• Radio Sorbonne broadcast

Women in tech and science

• Hackathon jury for "Jump In Tech" training program of BECOMETECH association (2024) 📸
• Panelist for "Jump In Tech" training program of BECOMETECH association (2024)
• Keynote talk (1h30) for the 1st ed. of "AI Summer School" dedicated to high school girls from Ile-de-France (2023)

In France, less than 25% of university professors or researchers in Computer Science are women. In IT companies, women account for 17% of researchers. In high schools, only 1% of girls choose the Computer Science speciality called "Numérique et sciences informatiques" (NSI), compared to 9% of boys. See other key figures in France and OCDE in: Vers l'égalité femmes-hommes ? Chiffres clés 2025 from Ministère chargé de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Recherche (released each year in March). Some causes and recommendations are surveyed in Rapport du Haut Conseil à l'Egalité entre les femmes et les hommes : La "Femme Invisible" dans le numérique, le cercle vicieux du sexisme (2023).

Safe and inclusive education/workplace

I support Charlotte Espel (journalist and film director)'s crucial work on Etudiantes en terrain miné (documentary in French). Trigger warning: even though no violence is shown, some scenes may be difficult to watch. 🛑

Some resources:

• [link] Loss of Caroline Grandjean-Paccoud (LGBTQIA+-based violence)
• [link] ACADISCRI survey (racism in university admissions)
• [link, link, link] Sexism and severe bullying against women in IT Schools and trainings (gender-based violence)
• [link] F. Deruelle (2024). Dating your PhD Student, a Borderline Case of Sexo-Affective Relationships at Work. Genre, sexualité & société, 31 (power abuse)
• [link] "Violent meters" related to grossophibia, cyberviolence, racism, affective relationships, supervision (PhD and colleagues), scientific environment, sport, medical staff, disabilities
• [link, link, link, link, link, link, link] Surveys on gender-based violences in Law Schools, Business Schools, Engineering Schools, Universities, basically everywhere.

Everyone has a responsibility.

If you witness a situation that feels ambiguous or potentially dangerous, it is your duty not to stay silent and to provide support to those affected.

If you are experiencing any form of violence, reach out for support whenever you feel ready and safe to do so (trusted colleagues, workplace support services/cellules d'écoute/plateformes de signalement, or external associations). Your safety comes first: creating an environment that keeps you away from danger—whether from a person, a group of people, or a place—is the top priority, before taking the necessary steps to ensure your long-term safety.