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There are few women in computer science because the majority of young girls are not interested in programming or playing computer games, says researcher XIAOLU HOU from the Faculty of Informatics and Information Technologies at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. She examines possible attacks and countermeasures for implementations of artificial intelligence and cryptographic algorithms in embedded devices.

XIAOLU is one of the laureates of the L'Oréal - UNESCO For Women in Science program for 2022, which honours Slovak scientists and researchers.

After years of studying and working in Singapore, why did you come to Slovakia? What was the reason?

My husband is from Slovakia. We wanted to raise our child here, or around the area, as my parents-in-law are nearby. My husband got a job in Austria, I got a job in Slovakia, so we moved here.

Was it difficult finding a job in Slovakia in your field?

My husband graduated from FIIT and his PhD supervisor told him that there was a position and they were looking for people in my field and in computer science. So, it was not that difficult because my background was suittable for the position.

There are only three women in your department. Is this the same in your home country or are there more women in this field?

I studied theoretical mathematics and there were more women. But in computer science, I think there are also very few female students. I was working in a huge lab in a group of maybe 30 to 40 people, out of which five or six were women. So, it was uneven.

In your opinion, why are there few women in computer science?