Universities support women in male dominated field of engineering

Ministry of Education supports women engineers through WE-UP
“The sex ratio differs in each major, but it’s around 8 men to 2 women in the engineering field.”
“Despite the consistently increasing demands, women’s career interruption is impeding the growth of women engineers in our society.”
Each was said from the schools participating in Women in Engineering Undergraduate leading Program (WE-UP), created by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to provide extensive support towards women engineers
Among the 10 universities selected in WE-UP on Sept. last year are Ewha, Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), and Sungshin Women’s University. MOE will be funding 2 billion won to the selected schools until 2018 to manage curriculums developing women engineers.
“We’ve presented a Life Cycle Stage to find, train, aid female students continue their career,” explained Professor Yun Chae-ok from Department of Bioengineering in Hanyang. “Since the planning stage, WE-UP received great interest from the university’s president himself. One of the many programs we created is a consultative group consisted of students and women CEOs from Hanyang.”
Yun continued with another new project created to support global women engineers.
“In social contribution project, students home-stay in a developing country for a week,” Yun said. “Through practical investigation with workers from international organizations, students debated upon realistic solutions instead of the usual theory-based education.”
Schools are also focusing on training women specialists for the upcoming Fourth Revolution, which scientists believe will be the next industrial wave that converges manufacturing and Information Communication Technology (ICT).
“In accordance to the Fourth Revolution, SKKU is aiming on the Smart Car industry, which wirelessly connect networks of the vehicle’s interior and the exterior,” explained Heo Min-jeong, the head researcher in Human Research Department (HRD) Center for Women Engineering in SKKU.
SKKU held Smart Car Exhibition where 23 teams of female students raced their hand-made cars.
“Students showed up with such high-quality cars that we regretted not holding the exhibition sooner,” admitted Heo with a smile. “After a semester of WE-UP, male students’ awareness in regards to women leadership also showed positive changes according to a survey we conducted.”
In Sungshin Women’s University, 2017 will be the first year to demonstrate College of Knowledge-Based Services Engineering.
Since WE-UP, Sungshin began a “Smart Start-up Program” that supported women engineers develop new technology with unique ideas.
“Subsequent to the program, more freshmen participated start-up camps and competitions and returned with prizes,” said Byun Hae-won, the Head of Women Information technology in New Korea (WINK). “We realized how women’s talent simiply haven’t been shedded enough light yet.”
Sungshin also developed ‘IoT Contents Making’ program.
“Students built their own cars with rather unfamiliar electronic components, censors, and cables from the scratch,” Byun said. “It was a success as students showed preference in learning via practice and team projects rather than the previous theory-based classes.

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