Report: 37 percent students of technical universities are women

The percentage of women at technical universities, formerly considered typically "male", has been monitored for 9 years (and at technical faculties of universities - for 7 years) as part of the campaign "Girls to technical universities!" organized by "Perspektywy" Education Foundation.

This year women, we already have 37 percent at technical universities - announced at a press conference in Warsaw Bianka Siwińska, Executive Director of "Perspektywy" Education Foundation, who presented data from the latest report.

Although women account for half of all students in Poland, they have always been a minority at technical universities and faculties. At the launch of the campaign "Girls to technical universities!" (2007/2008), ladies at technical universities accounted for 30.7 percent of the total number of students. In the last five years, their average percentage was 36.3.

The most feminised technical university is (partly humanistic) University of Bielsko-Biała, where the share of women and men in the student population is exactly 50 percent. In second place is Koszalin University of Technology (48.9 percent of female students).

Since the launch of the campaign, the number of women at public technical colleges increased by 14 thousand - reads the report.

In the last five years, the number of women increased the most at Kielce University of Technology (42.7 percent increase), Warsaw University of Technology (38.8 percent increase), Poznan University of Technology (37.5 percent increase), Wroclaw University of Technology (21, 7 percent increase) and Gdansk University of Technology (14.5 percent increase).

"There are no technical faculties where women do not study at all. There are still, however, strictly technical, so-called heavy courses, which are dominated by men. Examples are the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at Czestochowa University of Technology and at Silesian University of Technology, where the number of women is around 4 percent" - said Siwińska.

She noted that the upward trend is still felt, but slowing down due to the general downward demographic trend in the group of college candidates.

In the academic year 2015/16 there are 2,762 doctoral students at technical universities, accounting for 39 percent of all third degree students.

There are, however, very few professors in technical sciences, the report states. According to data from 14 technical universities in the current academic year, the number of professors is 1,672, of which women account for less than 13 percent (219 persons). The authors note, however, that more and more women decide to remain at polytechnics and pursue careers in science.

Women are also underrepresented in the authorities technical universities. Women-rectors are Prof. Maria Nowicka-Skowron of Czestochowa University of Technology and Prof. Monika Madej from the University of Ecology and Management in Warsaw. Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw has a woman Chancellor (Barbara Nowacka).

According to data from 2014, among the vice-rectors of technical universities, women account for about 8 percent (8 women and 98 men). 24 women hold positions of deans (there are 178 deans at technical universities across the country). Every fourth vice-dean is a woman.

During conference, Intel Technology Poland also announced the launch of the second edition of the scholarship program for women students of technical universities, organized by Intel Technology Poland in cooperation with "Perspektywy" Education Foundation.

The program is addressed to girls who graduate from high school in 2016 and women students of technical universities. 20 people will receive scholarships (gross 12 thousand zlotys per year), Intel mentorship as well as the opportunity for an internship at Intel in Poland and in the US. The program covers all technical universities in Poland.

In the last year\'s first edition of the program more than 600 applicants applied for 20 scholarships, emphasised Intel\'s PR director, Michał Dżoga announcing a new edition of the program.

The report "Women at technical universities 2015" is based on the publication of the Central Statistical Office "Universities and their finances" for the period 2006/7-2014/15 and the data collected by "Perspektywy" Education Foundation at public technical colleges for the current academic year 2015/16. Authors analysed the technical schools, which the Ministry of Science and Higher Education classifies as public university institutions.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

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