Exciting success stories, honest answers, and important contacts in a safe space: the Female Academics meet Executives (FAME) program at the University of Graz offers all this and more. Around 500 women have taken advantage of the program since it was founded ten years ago.
The idea behind FAME is quite simple: female students who have completed their bachelor's degrees meet successful women from various fields, from start-up founders to scientists to top managers in large companies.
Ode to women
The example of Sarah Wünscher shows the impact the program has on women's careers: “It was an ode to women and their abilities.” Wünscher completed FAME after her master's degree in business administration. “It's just great when women from the business world share their job stories.” The direct exchange helped her to overcome her shyness about networking. “The speakers were really helpful and were also available for discussions after the program.” For her, this experience was a great support and motivation for her self-employment.
Teresa Habjan was also faced with the decision of whether to take the plunge into self-employment when she attended the FAME modules “Start-up” and “Career.” “The very open stories and honest answers to very personal questions about work and life, successes and failures helped me a lot,” says Habjan, who started her own business in early 2025. “FAME offers the unique opportunity not only to see and hear successful women, but also to ask them all the questions that are on your mind.”
Helpful contacts
“The contacts I made through the FAME program still help me today,” says Michaela Wabl. “It's really important to just dare to ask questions and seek advice. You can learn a lot for your own career.” For her, FAME was an ideal complement to the specialist knowledge she acquired during her studies. “I was particularly impressed by the diversity of the speakers, who have all achieved success in very different ways,” says Wabl. “That showed me that there is no single path to success – and sometimes you just have to be brave and walk through open doors.”
The tenth anniversary was celebrated in style at the end of the semester in June 2025. And FAME's success story continues, of course. The new round starts in the fall. Secure your place by October 1, 2025, and become part of this unique community!