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Athena SWAN in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

The School prides itself in having an inclusive ethos and provides a welcoming and supportive environment for female students and staff.  As a result our School has a well above average cohort of female engineers. In line with our own aims to encourage females to take up this exciting and rewarding profession, we are currently holding a Silver Athena SWAN Award.

The Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) Charter is a scheme which recognises and celebrates good employment practice for women working in Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) in higher education and research.

The Athena SWAN Charter was launched in June 2005 to recognise good employment practice for women working in science, engineering and technology (SET) in higher education and research.  Queen's University Belfast was awarded an institutionally wide Silver Charter in 2007 in recognition of its commitment to the advancement and promotion of careers in SET.

The Charter is founded on three main principles:

  • The advancement of science, engineering and technology (SET) is fundamental to quality of life across the globe.
  • It is vitally important that women are adequately represented in what has traditionally been, and is still, a male-dominated area.
  • Science cannot reach its full potential unless it can benefit from the talents of the whole population.

Further information on the SWAN Charter can be found by visiting http://www.athenaswan.org.uk/.