Online session brings together Women in Science participants

British Council initiative to offer mentoring activities for STEM students

On Wednesday, May 18, all participants of Women in Science, an initiative involving PUCRS, UFRGS and King’s College London (KCL), joined forces in an online session. The students from the two Brazilian universities in the program, as well as mentors and project coordinators, participated in a virtual meeting with researchers Abigail Tucker and Andrea Streit, project leaders at KCL.

On the occasion, the students had the chance to learn a little more about the career of the British researchers in science. They also learned more about some of the actions implemented at King’s College to encourage gender equality.

One of them includes Athena SWAN, an accreditation process to transform gender equality in higher education and research. Established in 2005 to encourage and recognize the commitment to advancing women’s careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine, the framework is used around the world to address gender equality more broadly.

For Dr. Fernanda Morrone, professor at the School of Health and Life Sciences, and coordinator of the project at PUCRS, the project allows young students to envision opportunities for their careers by learning about the success stories of other women scientists. “It is also a moment to share experiences, challenges, learning and achievements on the presence of women in different areas”, she adds.

About the program

Women in Science (Mulheres na Ciência) is a British Council program seeking to strengthen connections with women in science in Brazil and the UK at the individual and institutional levels to transform patterns of influence and strengthen leadership and gender schemes in the exact sciences.