Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) is launching a public engagement campaign called Proud to be an Engineer and looking for engineers who would like to participate. The campaign is part of the university’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and is designed to raise awareness of the challenges faced by underrepresented engineers and to inspire the next generation of engineers from all backgrounds.
Proud to be an Engineer will provide engineers with bespoke public engagement training and support in creating an engaging exhibition display. In the summer of 2024, the participants will showcase their stories at two community festival events, one for schools and colleges in East London, and the second festival will be open to the local community.
“We are excited to launch Proud to be an Engineer and to give a voice to the many underrepresented engineers in our community,” said Michael Woolley, Outreach and Recruitment Officer at QMUL. “We believe that by sharing their stories, they can inspire the next generation of engineers and change perceptions of the profession.”
According to the charity Scope, one in every five people in the UK has an impairment, with 15% of people of working age being disabled. However, according to the UK Parliament Committees, the percentage of academic staff with a known disability is lower for staff working in STEM than non-STEM. This is likely due to the perception that engineering is a non-disabled profession.
Research by the Royal Academy of Engineering shows that women engineers, disabled engineers, LGBTQ+ engineers, and engineers from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds experience the culture of the profession as less inclusive than men, non-disabled, straight, and white. LGBTQ+ people avoid careers in science, technology and engineering due to worries of discrimination and bullying.
Recent findings from the new Inclusive Cultures in Engineering report 2023 show there are micro-climates of inclusions that have improved over the past 6 years. However, progress has not been quick, and this is due to continuing drivers of exclusion and culture within the engineering community.
The Proud to be an Engineer campaign is a way to address these challenges and to create a more inclusive engineering community. It is a positive step towards inspiring the next generation of engineers from all backgrounds and is supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious public engagement awards.
The campaign is open to engineers currently employed or pursuing a PhD. Applicants must reside in the UK and be willing to attend in-person training and events. Participation is free and some travel costs will be covered.
The campaign will run from November 2023 to July 2024. To participate, please visit the website: https://www.sems.qmul.ac.uk/proudengineer/
