The Future Of Higher Education: Empowering Women To Permeate STEM Fields

KUALA LUMPUR, 14.6.2021 – As female representation becomes critically low in STEM fields, universities worldwide are encouraging women to specialize in a relevant field to improve these numbers.

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The STEM curriculum aims to educate students in the four elements using an interdisciplinary approach based on real-life applications rather than teaching them as individual fields.

A United Nations (UN) statistics has shown the dwindling number of female STEM students around the world which raised concerns among higher education institutions.

The number of female students enrolled in information and communication technology (ICT) around the world only makes up 3%. Approximately 5% of females major in mathematics and statistics, whereas engineering consists of 8% females.

Moreover, there are only 30% of female students in STEM-related fields and less than 30% of researchers worldwide are women, according to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Throughout history, women have left a significant impact in changing the world to be a better place. Some prominent female figures include Florence Nightingale (inventor of modern nursing), Radia Perlman (developer of an algorithm that made the Internet possible today), and Katherine Johnson (physicist, mathematician, and space scientist).

To ensure that women have their place in the STEM field like their predecessors, universities across the globe have amplified their efforts to encourage their enrollment into relevant courses.

Below are universities in the UK renowned for their top-ranked STEM programs:

University of Edinburgh – School of Informatics

The Computer Science course ranked 5th in the UK and 22nd in the world by 2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Notable for its extensive programs that cover artificial intelligence, cognitive science, computer science, software engineering, and other subjects, the institution ensures students receive prime academic, adequate opportunities, and support.

Bangor University – School of Computer Science and Information Technology

The university has received prestigious accreditation from the British Computer Society and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The school is also known for its teaching excellence, achieving the TEF Gold standard in 2017, and is placed in the Top 10 for student satisfaction. The school excels in research, with students getting to collaborate with mentors who are also professors and highly notable individuals in their majors.

University of Manchester – School of Engineering

The university focuses on developing ethical and sustainable improvements through research and teaching in science-based engineering. The departments in the school work closely with the School of Natural Sciences to further nurture engineering talents and future scientists to be innovative and creative. Professor Alice Larkin, head of the School of Engineering says, “We are proud to foster a sense of curiosity, creativity and innovation to address real world problems.”

University of Exeter – College of Engineering

The university is home to seven subject areas: computer science; engineering; geology; mathematics; mining and minerals engineering; physics and astronomy; and renewable energy. The research programs aim for sustainability and the betterment of the climate, with modules related to climate change, creating sustainable water supplies, imaging techniques to ease the treatment of brain disease, and many more.

With universities making the move to empower more women to join the force, we can hope to see more female students step up to make their mark in STEM fields in the future.