On 5 November, the Women in STEM (WiSE) Community of Practice Webinar Series returns with a session exploring systems change for gender equality in STEM in higher education.
Featuring two science educators at different stages of their careers, the discussion will draw on lived experiences, teaching and research to examine gender bias in pedagogy and practice, opportunities for systemic change, and the role of personal agency in advancing gender equality in STEM education. Participants will also have an opportunity to reflect on these themes, exchange perspectives and consider how their own experiences shape the ways they teach, mentor and support others.
WiSE is a COL initiative that brings together perspectives from formal (institution-based) and non-formal (community-based) STEM education and training. While recognising the progress made towards gender parity in STEM enrolment in many contexts, the initiative also examines persistent barriers related to institutional culture, leadership opportunities, classroom practices, access to mentorship, confidence, credibility and influence on policy.
Date and registration
- 5 November 2026 at 7:30 pm IST, 5:00pm EAT, 7:00am PT
- Register: https://commonwealthoflearning.info/4iuQOkt
Speaker profiles
Dr Mildred Airo, lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, School of Physical and Biological Sciences, Maseno University, Kenya, holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa with a research focus on nanomaterials, solar energy technologies, environmental sensing, and sustainable energy solutions. Mildred’s commitment to GE, diversity, equity and inclusion has seen her lead initiatives for underprivileged students and students with special needs, mentor at herTech Pathway and participate in STEM outreach programmes for school learners. She is a member of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Kenya National Academy of Sciences and a multi-year recipient of the Royal Society of Chemistry Inclusion and Diversity Grants in 2023 and 2024.
Professor Ram Ramaswamy, Department of Chemistry, The Dynamics lab-IIT Delhi, India, taught at the Jawaharlal Nehru University from 1986 till his retirement in 2018. Between 2011 and 2015 he was Vice Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad. Educated at Madras University, IIT Kanpur and Princeton University, Ram’s research interests have largely been in the physical sciences. His recent research focuses on time delay dynamics, computational biology and AI. An elected Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy, and the Indian Academy of Sciences, he served as President of the Indian Academy of Sciences from 2016 to 2018.
