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University of Gävle stands out as its proportion of women engineering students increases

Studenter

While the proportion of women engineering students is decreasing at several of Sweden’s major universities, the University of Gävle notes an increase in its proportion of women engineering students. 26 percent of admitted engineering students were women in the autumn term 2016 and 33 percent in the autumn term 2017.

The University of Gävle has actively engaged in the work for broadened recruitment, and this work now seems to have yielded results. The project “The Hunt for Technicians” which strives to create interest in technology in pupils from the pre-school level to the upper secondary school level, is one example. Another example is creating summer school projects in which upper secondary school pupils have constructed things like bicycle stands with charging stations for electric bicycles.

“Here we notice that many girls change their view of the engineering profession, which they had imagined to be very much for boys. Afterwards, many of the girls say that they would like to become engineers,” Head of Department Ulf Larsson says.

The technical pre-undergraduate study year programme is in his opinion also very important, as it recruits many women.

Engineer and woman is the best combination

“It is really stupid not to make use of the whole resource; we would like good students and the technology businesses really want women students. To be an engineer and a woman is probably the best combination you can have for a future profession,” Ulf Larsson says.

Still, too few women apply and Ulf Larsson underlines the fact that it concerns the future of our industry.

 

For more information, please contact:
Ulf Larsson, Head of Department of Building, Energy and Environmental Engineering at the University of Gävle.
Phone: 026-64 87 91, 070-648 79 23
E-mail: ulf.larsson@hig.se

Gunilla Mårtensson, Dean, Faculty of Engineering and Sustainable Development, at the University of Gävle
Phone: 026-64 82 94, 073-460 65 37
E-mail: gunilla.martensson@hig.se

 

Text: Douglas Öhrbom

Published by: Douglas Öhrbom Page responsible: Anders Munck Updated: 2017-09-06
Högskolan i Gävle
www.hig.se
Box 801 76 GÄVLE
026-64 85 00 (växel)