Insight from research and the university is provided by our guest today: We welcome Dr.-Ing. Plamena Plachkova-Dzhurova from the Institute for Road and Railway Engineering (ISE) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).
infraTest: Ms. Plachkova-Dzhurova, was it clear to you as a young girl what path you would take?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: No, not at all. I really wanted to become a military pilot and had also prepared myself for that. As luck would have it, no women were accepted in the year I graduated from school, so I looked around for an alternative.
infraTest: A special career aspiration. I can imagine that your parents are more appreciative of your current career choice.
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: My parents both work in road construction. My father was employed at the civil engineering office for a long time and now works for a construction company. My mother has gained many different insights into civil engineering and quality assurance. That’s how I grew up with our industry. My parents were happy when I discarded my wish to become a pilot. However, I now live over 2,000 km away from them.
infraTest: Which station in your professional career did you like the most and which did you find the most challenging?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: I am still deeply involved in almost all stations. My field of work consists of many facets such as research, teaching and working in the RAP Stra testing centre. I love the diversity and find it a luxury to be able to pursue a holistic activity. All these areas are challenging and complement each other. Findings from practice can be transferred to research and teaching and vice versa.
infraTest: You came to Germany as a young woman. Did you have the feeling that it is more difficult for young people to arrive in our industry?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: During my studies, I was able to gain various insights into road construction through internships and student jobs, but much more into hydraulic and structural engineering. After my studies, however, things really took off. It is always difficult at the beginning – you are new, come straight from university and have no contacts in the industry. It’s important to fight for every opportunity and to learn quickly. But I found nice colleagues, both at the institute and outside, who supported me and made the work fun.
infraTest: How were you able to gain respect?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: Through patience and perseverance. Respect and recognition are not earned overnight. Basically, it is something you have to work at all the time. If you have a solid expertise, it will pay off sooner or later. There are many paths that lead to the goal. You just have to keep going.
infraTest: You cover many areas. As a result, you spend a lot of time working. Does your circle of friends and private life also form accordingly after a while in our industry?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: Work already occupies a central place in my life. But I also have a great family and above all a partner who supports me very much. With time, the friends in the industry become more, but of course there are also others. Some of my private contacts date back to a time before my professional career began. Of course, we don’t see each other that often anymore, we’ve all moved on in different directions. As soon as we meet again, we can pick up where we left off. I am grateful for such long-term friendships.
infraTest: What fascinates you most about your profession?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: The idea of creating something that lasts. I don’t build roads directly, but everything I do serves to make them more durable and better in one way or another. In the end, the whole of society benefits from my work. It makes me proud when I drive over a road that I have contributed to.
infraTest: If you had three wishes for our industry, what would they be?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: First of all, I would wish that our industry would be more appreciated by society. Often it is not even known what exactly lies behind our work. Secondly, I would like to see more young people discovering our profession and more of them becoming interested in research. Finally, I think it would be great if more women dared to complete their training and studies in our industry.
infraTest: What do you wish young women who are now entering our industry and what advice would you give them?
P. Plachkova-Dzhurova: Our fields of work are many and varied. Have self-confidence and work tirelessly on your skills. Keep your eyes on the goal and don’t let setbacks drag you down.