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"My mum was a maths teacher and my dad was a meteorologist. I was therefore lucky to be immersed in a scientific context and turningto scientific studies was an obvious option for me. I enrolled in university studies, finishing with a doctorate in organometallic chemistry. The context back then was not very favourable for the employment of doctors in chemistry, much less for a woman. After an initial position in Tours as a senior lecturer, I continued my career in Brest, with a one-year break in Canada. Currently, I am conducting research in coordination chemistry to prepare molecular materials in the hope that they have physical properties which have never been described and which may lead to new applications. These objects combine metals with small organic molecules. They are characterised by different measurement techniques, such as infrared spectroscopy.

In 1953, my mother left for Vietnam, alone, to teach mathematics. With regard to our studies, she brought me and my five sisters up by telling us:“Do what you have to do, plan your past first!” When I was a student, I had an amazing female professor who helped to set up the chemistry laboratory in Brest. Even today, I am the only female chemistry professor. At the Faculty of Science, out of 68 professors, five of them are women. I've heard people say: “Senior ecturer - not bad for a woman!” It was challenging to lead the equality mission! Following the presentations of the mission and its quantified reports in various university councils, colleagues realised that, contrary to popular opinion, equality was yet to be achieved at the university. I think they are now more attentive to the issue, but there is still a lot of progress to be made."

Françoise Conan,
Professor in Coordination Chemistry, University of Western Brittany

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