LSBU encourages black and minority women to consider engineering

LONDON South Bank University (LSBU), UK, is today hosting an event which aims to inspire the next generation of black and minority ethnic women to consider a career in engineering.

LSBU began teaching women engineering in 1920 – one of the first English universities to do so – and is celebrating this centenary with ten months of events – LSBU 100 – Women in Engineering – with the aim to discuss how to increase opportunities for women to become engineers. LSBU 100 – Women in Engineering will conclude on 23 June to mark International Women in Engineering Day.

Today’s event is the second in the LSBU series and is also one of eight LSBU Black History Month meetings, and 13 October also marks Ada Lovelace day. It is run in collaboration with the LSBU Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic and Allies Network and LSBU Gender Equality group. Speakers at the event will be black and ethnic minority professionals and students, including Ina Colombo, a former student of LSBU who has worked on engineering projects at Heathrow Airport and the House of Commons; Eiman Aleem, LSBU Associate Professor of Biomedical Science; Yamuna Kaluarachchi, LSBU Director of Postgraduate Research & Ethics, Built Environment & Architecture;  and Zahra Echresh Zadeh, an LSBU engineering postgraduate.

Claire Benson, Senior Lecturer at LSBU School of Engineering, and a chemical engineer: said: “Over 800 black and minority ethnic female students have studied Engineering at LSBU since 2014 and black and minority ethnic women are leading LSBU’s Engineering teaching and research work. At our second LSBU 100 – Women in Engineering event, leading black and minority ethnic female engineers will discuss how we can do more to break down barriers that female students face. Celebrating LSBU’s 100-year history as one of the first universities to teach women engineering is giving us valuable insights about how we can open up opportunities for the next generation of black and minority ethnic women engineers.”