Female Engineers of the present and future are to be better encouraged, supported and developed, as the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering has become an official Education Partner of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES).

The new partnership will boost opportunities for female Engineering students at Warwick – with the creation of a Student Group support network, membership to WES, access to knowledge sharing events and a greater visibility in the Engineering world.

It will also pave the way for girls to become future engineers – as staff from the School of Engineering organise WES-affiliated outreach activities at schools across Coventry & Warwickshire, encouraging girls to discover what Engineering has to offer.

Warwick’s School of Engineering also supports WES to deliver an annual student conference for university students, with staff playing a key role in the conference and students being sponsored to attend and participate.
In November this year, Warwick will host the 9th Annual WES Student Conference: Engineering Inspiration 2018. Its theme is 'Building sustainable cities and communities'.

The two-day annual event is designed to support young women to progress in engineering and allied sectors by providing access to employer perspectives, development opportunities and networking.

Dr Georgia Kremmyda, who is responsible for Civil Engineering courses at Warwick - and leads the University’s Humanitarian Engineering and Environmental Sustainability research themes – is also an ECU Athena SWAN panellist and WES Trustee, Director of Education and Council member.

On the new partnership, and the opportunities it will bring to women in engineering, she commented:

“In my roles as Warwick academic and WES Trustee, I am delighted to see the School of Engineering becoming a WES Education Partner, bringing together a University strongly supportive of diversity, equality and inclusion with a long standing professional network of women engineers to enable inspiration, support and professional development to female engineers”

The University has also launched initiatives such as the annual three-day ‘Inspire’ course, aimed at encouraging girls in the Midlands into the world of Engineering, in Partnership with the Engineering Development Trust.

In addition, Women in Engineering Scholarships - founded by, and primarily funded by, University of Warwick alumni – are available to first-year undergraduate female students studying Engineering at Warwick.

Notes to editors:

The University of Warwick’s School of Engineering is one of the leading unified engineering schools in the UK, with an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

Key themes of Energy, Biomedical Engineering and Cities provide a framework for research efforts, and we have a strong track record of collaboration with industrial partners and internationally-recognised academics through both research and teaching activities.

The School of Engineering holds the Athena SWAN Bronze Award Charter mark, renewed in April 2016, confirming commitment to advancing gender equality: representation, progression and success for all, where the Charter recognises work undertaken to address gender equality more broadly, and not just barriers to progression that affect women.

Undergraduate and postgraduate students are active members of the School of Engineering Athena SWAN self-assessment team. More information here.

Picture caption:
Engineering students participating in the 8th Annual WES Student Conference: Engineering Inspiration 2017.

Permission: WES

Credit: Gingerscience Media Ltd

June 19, 2018

For press information, contact:
Andrea Cullis
Media relations manager
University of Warwick
E: a dot cullis at warwick dot ac dot uk
DD: 02476 528050
M: 07825 314874