With an aim of enhancing awareness of USTH students about the role of women in technology and science activities, as well as encouraging further the female participation in the field, the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) and the United Nations of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) co-held a training entitled “Gender Empowerment in STEM: Challenges and opportunities, co-held by on January 14 at the USTH.
The training saw attendances of trainers from United Nations’s institutes such as UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV). On the USTH side were Prof. Patrick Boiron – Rector of USTH, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh and Assoc.Prof.Dr. Ngo Duc Thanh – Vice Rector of USTH, along with a number of USTH students, many of whom being females.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Patrick Boiron – Rector of USTH, said Vietnam has made a great effort with respect to gender equality, equalising the rights of men and women, adding that however Vietnamese women are still facing with barriers in education and employment, and multiple forms of discrimination at workplace.
Therefore, the training is considered as a great effort of USTH to promote the gender equality and women empowerment at workplace and among students also, he added.
In line with the Rector on the improvement of Vietnam’s gender equality policy, Assoc.Prof.Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh said the figure of female scientists accounted for 45% in the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) in particular and 40 % in Vietnam in general, being 1.6 times as high as the average level of 25% in the world.
However, it is essential to increase the percentage of Vietnamese female scientists in charge of research projects at the ministerial level and national level in the near future because the figure was pretty low.
During the training, under the guidance of trainers from UN, participants enthusiastically exchanged their opinions on a wide range of topics including labour-related issues, career challenges and opportunities in the field of science and technology and the 21st century essential skills.
The trainers and the representatives of the USTH Rectorate Board also answered the career-related questions of students and shared their opinions about challenges and opportunities of women in scientific research activities. According to Assoc.Prof.Dr. Dinh Thi Mai Thanh, passion, sacrifice and endevour were key characteristics of women who would like to pursue science-related profession as the field always requires creativity and resilience.
Therefore, women were advised to study tirelessly to enrich their knowledge, stick with their goals and know arrange time and work scientifically to achieve work-life balance, she added.
“The world needs science and science needs women” is a slogan of the UNESCO in its programme “For the development of women in science”. Responding to the call and the tremendous development of science and technology nowadays, a plenty of public universities in Vietnam have been encouraging women to choose programs that help them develop in science and technology sector. As the first Vietnamese international public university focusing on training and research development in the field of science and technology, USTH has been making efforts to nurture and inspire students who are passionate about science and technology, especially female students, to become talented and passionate youth, thus contributing to the development of Vietnam generally as well as the science and technology sphere particularly.
