Equalities @ EECS

QMUL has launched the “Dignity and respect” champions network. This aims to provide confidential advice for those targeted by harassment or bullying. This is a service providing guidance, assistance and advice for any members of staff. It also provides a way for serious allegations to be taken to the appropriate university authority. Currently there are no representatives from SEMS enrolled as dignity and respect champions.
You can find out more about the scheme here:


http://hr.qmul.ac.uk/workqm/wellbeing/workplace-support/bullying–harassment/

As part of IEEE ICC conference a free event “Women In Engineering: The journey continues” will be held on 14th June. The times are 10:00-12:45 GMT-4. (Which translates to the slightly awkward 5:00-7:45 in BST). There are a great selection of speakers and a networking session at the end. You can see all the details on the website here:

https://icc2021.ieee-icc.org/program/wie-wice-forum

The Royal Society has put their commissioned report on ethnicity in STEM online. You can find the full report here https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/publications/2021/trends-ethnic-minorities-stem/

The aim of the report was to look into why “talented black people are not finding science careers in UK academia”. The key findings of the report can be found in more detail in the above report but, in brief:
1) Black, Asian and multi-ethnic candidates are less likely to apply for Royal Society early career fellowships (even when considering the small numbers eligible to apply).
2) These groups are under represented in the eligible pool and applications to Royal Society schemes.
3) There is “little to no” representation of Black postdoctoral researchers.
They highlight some possible steps forward including mentorship and workshops. The full reports include thorough data and analysis.

10:00-11:30 Challenging Antisocial Behaviour with The Active Bystander Company

This interactive workshop will help you to address problems you’ve encountered around addressing inappropriate behaviour and work towards building a healthy workplace culture of constructive challenge and personal responsibility. All sessions include tried and tested decision-making and personal effectiveness techniques, designed to overcome the initial fear of tackling challenging situations.

• Develop decision-making skills and overcome fear and paralysis in challenging situations;
• Identify personal effectiveness techniques to tackle difficult conversations;
• Explore verbal and non-verbal language techniques to challenge unacceptable behaviours. Book your place by searching ‘active bystander’ on QMUL CPD Booking System

12:00-13:00 Mindful Wellbeing for Women with OPD team

Investing in your wellbeing has proven to help reduce stress and create a more positive work-life balance. This interactive workshop will explore the links between work, health and mental wellbeing and your role in promoting wellbeing for yourself and others. Join us to connect with like-mind women to open up the discussion around self-care and self-compassion to create a more positive work-life balance. 

• Explore the key issues effecting wellbeing; 
• Identify the links between work-related stress and investing in wellbeing; 
• Understand how to promote workplace wellbeing for yourself and others. Book your place by searching ‘mindful wellbeing’ on QMUL CPD Booking System 

15:30-16:30 Menopause Cafe with Dr Louise Younie

This educational and interactive event with Dr Louise Younie, GP and Clinical Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Health Sciences Education, will explore themes including physical, emotional and social symptoms and managing the menopause with holistic or medical options, and a personal narrative on surgical menopause as part of cancer treatment. This event is aimed at members of Queen Mary staff who are experiencing or will experience the menopause, and there will be an opportunities throughout the session for attendees to ask questions openly or anonymously.

Book your place using your QMUL email address here

Free one day online conference on 8 March 2021

On 8 March 2021, Women in Innovation are holding a one-day online conference of ‘workshops, inspirational speakers and groundbreaking ideas.’

The event ‘aims to highlight the many inspirational female role models working within the UK, support the next generation of female innovators through workshops and expert advice sessions, and strengthen the UK as a world leader in innovation and gender inclusion.’

Read information about the event and how to register

Women in Innovation programme ’empowers pioneering female entrepreneurs to develop innovations, through a women-only competition with awards offering innovation grant funding and a tailored programme of mentoring and business support.’ It is part of Innovate UK, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Women in Science and Engineering at Queen Mary University of London (WISE@QMUL) is a student group for discussion of female participation in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine).

WISE@QMUL have announced a free two-day online conference to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021.

On 25^th-26^th March WISE@QMUL will host inspiring speakers to discuss two main themes:

• Ethnic minority women in STEMM.
• Future directions and priorities for women in STEMM.

WISE@QMUL writes, ‘This is a unique opportunity to celebrate women in the field of science and engineering who have had remarkable journeys and broken glass ceilings, whilst encouraging young female scientists to pursue careers in STEMM.’

Registration for the WISE@QMUL International Women’s Day 2021 Virtual Conference is open.

Read the conference programme [PDF 247KB]

WISE@QMUL International Women’s Day 2021 Virtual Conference:

Day 1 – 25^th March 2021: 
https://qmul-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ArYbQ0zTQc2hxFb7cc8lCA 

Day 2 – 26^th March 2021:
https://qmul-ac-uk.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-_l1cE9AQVyze16IXRTejg 

The UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February) aims to recognise the critical role women and girls play in science and technology communities. 

Queen Mary marked this day by highlighting some of our students, staff and alumni from across the Faculty of Science and Engineering who are making a difference to their fields and helping to inspire the next generation of girls and women into STEM careers.

Read and find out more

This online event organised by Imperial College, the Science Museum, the University of Leeds, the IET and the Women’s Engineering Society will take place on March 10th. Wikipedia needs updating to ensure it accurately reflects the many contributions of women to science technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine. This online event will allow complete novices and experienced editors to work together to edit this resource by improving existing articles or creating new ones.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/women-in-stem-online-wikithon-2021-tickets-140289219833

DeepMind has a fully funded PhD studentship to start September ’21 which is in the area of AI or Machine Learning. The studentship is available to researchers who identify as female and/or are of Black ethnicity (as they are underrepresented in the field of AI). You can find out more here:
https://www.findaphd.com/phds/programme/deepmind-phd-studentship-in-ai-or-machine-learning/?p5201

The deadline to apply is 14th April. For more information contact Lowri Jones.

The issue of recruiting women in STEM is sometimes blamed on the lack of role model women scientists. There are some very nice posters produced by QMUL with images of women’s contributions to computer science.

https://teachinglondoncomputing.org/2020/03/03/women-in-computing-free-posters-for-uk-schools-from-iocoding-digitalskillsmatter-jb/

Two organisations are seeking women working in STEM to encourage the next generation of potential scientists and engineers.
“The female scientist” is looking for people to write short descriptions of themselves to encourage the idea that women can work in STEM disciplines.
https://thefemalescientist.com/portrait/contactthefemalescientist-com/311/present-your-work-and-write-your-portrait/
WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) have the “My skills My life” campaign which will find ways to engage school age potential STEM recruits
https://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/what-we-do/expertise/welcome-to-my-skills-my-life/