UP² Women’s Initiative Introduced in Russia

March 28, 2018

Saint-Petersburg – The Corning Scientific Center in Saint-Petersburg, Russia recently introduced the UP² Women's Initiative.

The UP² Initiative, sponsored by the women of the Corning Management Group, works to empower women in the workplace. The goal is to develop the next generation of women at Corning by building connections, promoting best practices, and sharing success stories.

Evgeniya, a Global Supply Management employee, and Ekaterina, a Senior Scientist, hosted the meeting. Together with invited speaker Li Yang, they introduced the Initiative and launched into an in-depth discussion on how women can build confidence in their career aspirations.

Evgeniya shared an overview of the UP² Initiative, which included various tools and opportunities available for Corning women to develop their career. Ekaterina also gave a brief statistical overview of women in the workforce.

The group discussed obstacles to career development that emerge at all levels of the organization and may stem from a lack of self-confidence. "I believe that a lack of confidence is one of the main obstacles to career success. Low confidence makes us doubt our abilities and prevents us from setting ambitious goals and acting on them," Ekaterina said.

Li Yang shared her personal and professional experience and a few ideas to help overcome fear and boost confidence; "The understanding that I am doing the right thing or doing this for the good of others helps me to move forward and get rid of hesitation."

The UP² workshop will be held quarterly in Saint-Petersburg to give female employees an opportunity to learn from Corning female leaders across the global organization.