Prof Welsch contributes to THE Campus Live UK & IE

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Times Higher Education (THE) Campus Live UK&IE 2023 brought together higher education leaders, industry partners and policy experts in Liverpool on 6 – 7 December 2023 to discuss, debate and plan how to achieve institutional success. One of the key areas that were discussed was equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Despite significant efforts to diversify the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including Athena Swan and IOP Juno, women in these fields face persistent challenges.

OMA Coordinator Professor Carsten P Welsch was invited to join a roundtable discussion hosted by THE in partnership with City University of Hong Kong to explore how institutions can support and retain diverse talent in STEM fields. Amongst the many questions that were addressed by the high-profile panel were how the experiences of women in STEM have evolved over time, what challenges they continue to face today, and how one can inspire more women to enter STEM professions.

Professor Welsch brought his experience as Head of a physics Department and UK ambassador at the International Conference on Women in Physics into the discussion. He highlighted how the number of female Professors and research leaders in Liverpool physics was significantly increased in recent years, and also how initiatives such as the Marie Curie Day 2017 and targeted outreach events for girls schools helped making physics more attractive.

Professor Welsch said “Boosting the visibility for women in STEM is very important for challenging stereotypes, and to inspire more women to pursue these subjects with greater confidence. This requires the careful development of talent, strategic planning of leadership roles and targeted communication and outreach campaigns.”

More information about the event including the full agenda can be found here. Further information can be found in the following articles that were published last month: