ĐÀ NẴNG – A leadership conference opened yesterday at the University of Đà Nẵng focussing on the female role models in Việt Nam in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The conference which also has an exhibition, encourages the exchange of knowledge and paths to entrepreneurship and offers networking opportunities among professionals.

The event is part of the Women in STEM (WiSTEM) Leadership Programme under the Building University-Industry Learning and Development through Innovation and Technology (BUILD-IT) Alliance, an initiative supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and announced by United States President Barack Obama during his trip to Việt Nam in June.

The project is implemented by Arizona State University and runs through 2020.

“Leaders in STEM career fields will be exploring some of the most exciting realms of discovery and technological innovation and will occupy the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future,” USAID Vietnam Mission Director Michael Greene said.

“As a result, increasing opportunities for women in these fields are critically important in realising greater economic success and equality for women across the board,” Greene added.

“We want to connect women in the STEM community,” Kathy Wigal, Ed. D., BUILD-IT Project Director and Associate Director for Curricular Innovation at Arizona State University explained.

“The forum will convene both men and women working in STEM for open discussion on the role of women in the high demand professions of mathematics, engineering, technology and science,” Wigal said.

WiSTEM, in addition to hosting an annual conference, is establishing university campus-based clubs and associated academic programmes that provide female mentors and offer scholarships for women earning engineering and technical degrees.

With technology and science advancing at such a rapid rate, and with the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the ASEAN Economic Community launch, many public and private universities in Viet Nam are encouraging women to seek an education that will prepare them for a career in STEM. It is more important than ever to inspire and educate women and girls to challenge the status quo and be a part of this global revolution. – VNS