Female students and staff are under-represented in science, engineering and technology fields. Today, only 30 per cent of scientists are women. Less than one third of female students choose mathematics and engineering. Women in STEM fields publish fewer papers and are often paid considerably less than male scientists - statistics released today by the World Economic Forum show a low level of female participation in science and engineering.
Gender and science equality are essential for achieving the sustainable development goals. Despite the many efforts and activities undertaken by various leading organizations around the world, gender equality is still a long way off. This is why the role of universities in achieving gender equality and overcoming existing challenges is particularly important.
In today Georgia, one interesting example in this regard is the Kutaisi International University (KIU). KIU is a new institution of higher education that makes gender equality and social inclusion one of its priorities. Creating an inclusive and equal educational environment, free from any form of direct or indirect discrimination, is a priority for the University. The University has implemented gender equality and social inclusion policies.
As a result of the University’s various activities, the number of female students studying STEM at KIU has doubled compared to the last academic year. Most of the girls have high academic performance and are actively involved in university life, research, innovation, creating startups, and projects/games in the direction of visual mathematics.
In addition to a busy academic life, the students manage to participate in various creative and social campaigns, and through their diverse student and scientific activities, they become motivators for girls living in the region. In this context, the participation of the Ukrainian Maria Bukayeva, who is studying computer science at Kutaisi International University, is interesting. Her special interest in STEM inspires others. Maria hopes that the knowledge she gained in Georgia will be very useful for her future career advancement. She wants to set an example for other young women who are now planning to study the STEM disciplines and natural sciences and have not yet decided where to pursue a career or in which country to continue their education.
Here are some successful female students, based on their high grades and participation in extra-curricular activities:
Natia Pruidze comes from the village of Nasperi in Tsageri region. She is a second-year student in the KIU undergraduate program in computer science. Natia graduated with a gold medal and entered the University with high grades. As a result, she received a monthly scholarship from KIU and funding to live on campus. As a result of her high academic performance, she still maintains the scholarship and funding she has received from the University. During her high school days, she was active in national competitions and regional conferences. Her efforts continued at university. Natia took part in the KIU Visual Math Fest 2021, where she together with other students presented the project ‘The Mirror of The Perfect Reflection’. The project was approved by a jury of Georgian and foreign professors and the young people were awarded the second-degree diploma. Natia received 1 point for participation in extracurricular activities (ECAS). The girl participated in the summer school - Digital Thinking 2021, which was organized by KIU School of Computer Science.
A first-year student in the mathematics program Mariam Mamageishvili, , is a successful student at KIU. She is from Kutaisi. She has deserved the student status at Kutaisi International University and was enrolled in KIU's English language mathematics program with a 100% scholarship. Across Georgia, Mariam ranked among the top 100 students with the highest scores in the unified national examinations. Mariam graduated from the Kutaisi Andria Razmadze Physics and Mathematics School N41 with a gold medal. Accordingly, she studies and lives at the Kutaisi International University completely free of charge, and receives a monthly scholarship from KIU. During her school years Mariam was distinguished by her special talent and determination, and she is also a winner of various competitions and Olympiads. She has received Aversi’s and Agli Abzianidze’s grants. She has been a repeat winner of the Kutaisi Olympiads (Mathematics and Biology) over the years, as well as one of the winners of the Mathematical and Algorithmic Thinking competition M Vector in 2020 and a finalist in 2021. Mariam recently graduated from the KIU Winter Mathematics School. She is currently participating in two projects organized by the KIU Mathematics School: the π-Day Math Contest and the KIU Visual Math Fest. She spares no effort to make these projects a success for herself. She has big plans for the future and is ready to take on all the challenges she will face in life and during her career.
Anano Tamarashvili is from Gori. Having been interested in scientific technology since childhood, she has chosen mathematics as her future profession. Anano is a second-year student in KIU's mathematics program. She graduated with a gold medal from high school. This is her second year studying and living at KIU and receiving a monthly scholarship from the University. Anano has a strong academic record and, like the other girls, is active in student projects. Last year she participated in a winter math school, the aim of which was the in-depth study of some aspects of calculus. She took part in a joint KIU and GITA summer course on startup acceleration and innovation. During the course, Anano and her friends developed a startup idea and pitched (presented) the project to a jury. The young people created a website to sell second-hand books. Anano also participated as a mentee in the mentoring program - a joint project of KIU and the United Nations Development Fund for Women She had an interesting experience with a mentor/woman leader who helped her discover herself, her capabilities and overcome barriers. She and her friends are currently participating in the KIU Visual Math Fest, where she is due to present the project 'Out Of This World'. According to her, the project will provide an opportunity to introduce people to the concept of non-Euclidean geometry, hyperbolic space. As well as math, she is passionate about music; she dedicates all her free time to music. Her love of music led her to create a music club at the University, she is working on this project with her friends and wants to present it to the KIU Student Project Fund.
KIU female students are actively involved in various projects aimed at introducing students to university programs, popularizing STEM disciplines and increasing women's involvement in them.
