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The lack of gender diversity in the engineering sector is concerning. Engineering is still a male-dominated field, leading to limited opportunities and representation for women. Based on a 2022 study by EngineeringUK, men outnumbered women in the global engineering workforce 83.5% to 16.5%. Women are severely underrepresented in almost all engineering fields, including mechanical, aerospace, civil, electrical, and many more.
Addressing this issue does not only help women but also the engineering industry as a whole. Diversity in the field brings different perspectives and ideas, which, in turn, generate more creative and innovative solutions. That is why many universities today encourage more women to join. It’s a win-win situation — keeping up the increasing number of women joining STEM programmes whilst broadening the range of skills, experiences, and viewpoints in their departments.
If you are interested in studying engineering at a place that champions gender and social diversity, consider signing up at these universities below:
The Alice Perry Engineering Building is where students, regardless of their diversity, come together to learn. Source: University of Galway
University of Galway
The University of Galway is a leader in advancing gender equality in education and research — as seen in its School of Engineering securing an Athena Swan Silver Award. A first for any engineering school in the Republic of Ireland, the award is a recognition of the school’s commitment to advancing gender equality for both staff and students and in creating evidenced cultural change within the university.
The school has implemented several initiatives to promote gender and social diversity. They have developed promotional campaigns and targeted scholarships to attract and support a more diverse student body. Support systems ensure underrepresented groups have an inclusive and enabling environment to live and learn in.
These efforts are crucial to address global challenges. A socially diverse School of Engineering is a school where creativity and problem-solving can flourish and, in turn, give birth to more sustainable and impactful solutions for global challenges that benefit society as a whole. Being part of a university designated a National SDG Champion for 2023-24 by the Irish government’s Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications also means having front-row seats to what it takes to create a more sustainable future.
In this trailblazing environment, everyone is welcome to pursue an education that shapes a better world. Programmes offered by the School of Engineering include the Bachelor of Engineering (Biomedical), Bachelor of Engineering (Energy Systems), PG Cert in Modern Methods of Construction, PG Dip in Construction Innovation, MSc Construction Innovation, MSc Medical Electronics and Digital Health and MSc Biomedical Engineering. Whichever you choose, all programmes equip students with relevant skills and are career-focused. Strong industry links ensure all students are ready to excel in the workplace. The purpose-built Alice Perry Engineering Building, named in honour of the first female Engineering graduate in Ireland and the UK, doubles as a multidisciplinary living laboratory, a great launchpad for solving global challenges. Apply to the University of Galway’s School of Engineering today.
ETH Zürich is the top-ranked university in Switzerland and seventh in the world in QS World University Rankings 2024. Source: ETH Zürich
ETH Zürich
Ranked as one of the top 10 universities in the world in 2022, ETH Zürich is known for its bachelor’s and master’s degrees that cover Architecture, Civil Engineering and Engineering Sciences. The university combines research-based education with hands-on experiences to ensure students are equipped to tackle current and future engineering challenges.
One of those challenges is to promote diversity in the field. ETH Zürich started early with the first so-called Female Association (now called CSNOW) founded in 1993 at the Department of Computer Science. Today, there are 19 groups solely dedicated to gender and diversity in STEM-related fields. What’s more, 10 of the 16 departments in the university have female associations, making sure that women are always a part of the conversation.
The university’s own ETH Diversity Office is committed to ensuring all students, lecturers, and staff members get the same opportunities to study, research, and work safely and successfully here. This is done by EQUAL tools, a compilation of measures for everyone to receive equal opportunities at universities, and Equality Monitoring, a hub of information about the situation of equality and diversity at the university and in the various departments.
Their flagship Master’s programme in Civil Engineering equips students for leadership roles, arming them with the know-how to tackle the practical and scientific challenges of shaping tomorrow’s infrastructure.
Spread across four semesters, the programme offers a unique blend of flexibility and focus. Students craft their own paths, selecting two specialisations from a diverse spectrum — Construction and Maintenance Management, Structural Engineering, Transport Systems, and Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management. A few mandatory courses build foundational knowledge, while electives allow personal interests and aptitudes to flourish.
Technical University of Denmark takes pride in its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Source: Technical University of Denmark
Technical University of Denmark
For students interested in learning the business side of technical and natural sciences sectors, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is the place to be. Ranked ninth best universities among Nordic countries, DTU has over 13,400 students enrolling in master’s degrees in Science in Engineering, Business Administration, and Engineering, and bachelor’s degrees in Science in Engineering and Engineering, and doctoral degrees.
The university takes pride in its diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. However, this does not apply to gender, equality, and nationality exclusively. The university takes it one step further by incorporating cognitive diversity – the inclusion of people who have different styles of problem-solving and can offer unique perspectives because they think differently, have gone through varying experiences, and come from a range of backgrounds.
This level of inclusion works under an umbrella programme that checks all the boxes within the Horizon Europe requirement of a gender equality plan (GEP). This helps achieve the SDGs and boosts not only the university’s reputation as an inclusive institution for all but also Europe’s competitiveness and growth towards sustainability.
Those hungry for progression and dedicated to scientific development should check out the institution’s English taught BSc in General Engineering programme at the undergraduate level, plus the manyn two-year research-based elite MSc Engineering programmes covering most modern fields of study at the graduate level.
Studies here are both flexible and comprehensive. DTU not only offers an innovative and open-minded learning environment for students but also supports a vibrant campus life, which makes the university a highly attractive choice for international students.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International
