Warwick’s School of Engineering recognised with Athena Swan Gold award for gender equality excellence

The University of Warwick’s School of Engineering has received the highest honour for gender equality in higher education and research in the form of the Athena Swan Gold award.

The Athena Swan Charter was established in 2005 and is a globally recognised and prestigious award that seeks to promote and recognise academic departments that show commitment to exceptional and sustained gender equality.

Associate Professor Modupe Jimoh, Athena Swan Champion for the School, said that the initial intention was to apply for a Silver award. However, in January 2024, the School decided to aim for Gold instead, after realising it was “evidencing practices at a higher level”.

The achievement of Gold status in the Charter signifies that the Department’s gender equality, through both its culture and practices, is one of the best in the nation.

This is exemplified by the success of the Women in Engineering Scholarship scheme at the School.

While some initiatives, like hosting ICWES18, the impact of WUSAT, individual awards, and our Women in Engineering scholarships are visible externally, many are embedded in our daily work

Prof. Jo Collingwood, Associate Head of the School of Engineering

The scheme offers extra support both financially and in terms of mentoring and career development to female first-year undergraduates in the School of Engineering.

Its success and recognition has inspired the Department of Computer Science to adopt a similar model.

Professor Jo Collingwood, Associate Head of the School and Institutional Deputy Athena Swan Lead, highlighted that the Gold award shows a much deeper culture of equality, in addition to the outwardly visible successes, such as the scholarship scheme.

She said: “While some initiatives, like hosting ICWES18, the impact of WUSAT, individual awards, and our Women in Engineering scholarships are visible externally, many are embedded in our daily work.”

As an example, Prof. Collingwood spoke of the “annual survey on flexible working needs for staff with caring responsibilities, which informs the teaching timetable”.

The commitment and progress of the School have helped to secure the Gold award, which is valid for the next 5 years, making it one of the few schools of Engineering in the country to hold the title

She described it as “inclusive”, “respectful of individual circumstances”, and as a scheme which “supports staff throughout their careers” while “streamlining operations”.

The years of progress behind the scenes in the School has also led to an increase in female representation at professorial level from 6% in 2013 to 20% today.

The commitment and progress of the School have helped to secure the Gold award, which is valid for the next 5 years, making it one of the few schools of Engineering in the country to hold the title, and one of two departments in the University to hold it alongside Warwick Business School.