Network with focus on gender equality
The Include network, whose purpose is to get more girls to choose an education that traditionally mostly are chosen by boys, have had their first meeting for the semester. – No demands, no prestige – just nice conversations with girls who have similar interests, says Computer Science and Engineering student Sophia Caspar.
Include is a long-term strategic initiative at the Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. The initiative has two main tracks. It's about recruiting new girls to the Master Programmes in Computer Science and Physics and Electrical Engineering and the Bachelor Programme in Computer Science and Engineering. And it is about to get the already enrolled girls to remain.
Unpretentious network meetings
Now they've had their first network meeting this semester and the new students got a chance to meet them in higher grades.
– I think it creates a kind of security for the new students to have girls, or at least older students, to ask for help and advice. We, the ones that have been around for a while, know how it feels to be new, says Sophia Caspár, student at the Master Programme in Computer Science and Engineering and one of them who has been involved since the Include project started.
– We talk and eat dinner and this time we also played some games. It creates a relaxed environment where everyone takes part on their own terms. No demands, no prestige – just good food and nice conversations with girls who have similar interests.
MakerTjej to increase interest in technology
In recent years, there have been several different activities within the Include project. For example, girls that have applied to one of the three programmes, have been invited to Luleå to find out what it's like to study at the university. Also, meetings with alumnus and workshops has been arranged.
A further object of Include is to get young girls interested in technology. On October 16, another MakerTjej is arranged, a full day of digital creation over three workshops.
– A new feature this year is that the girls get to program embroidery designs and create 3D games and 3D environments in Unity, says Peter Parnes, Professor of Pervasive and Mobile Computing.
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