THE UNIVERSITY of Reading has continued its efforts to inspire young women to explore careers in science and technology with a conference event.
Year 10 pupils of south Asian heritage were invited to a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) conference at the Whiteknights campus.
It saw 45 students from Reading Girls’ School and Eden Girls’ School in Slough attend and began with a campus tour.
This was followed by a STEM subject taster session exploring the chemistry of chocolate, where students found out about the chemicals present in cocoa and their effect on heart health.
They also tasted the difference in types and brands of chocolate.
The pupils then heard from three guest speakers, with the university’s own Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice Chancellor of research and innovation, Professor Parveen Yaqoob.
EMEA’s vice-president for delivery Suneeta Khutan also gave a talk, after having been named as one of the 100 most influential women in tech by Computer Weekly, as did former Partner Marketing Manager for a digital telecommunications company in Dubai, Julia Khanom.
Each spoke about their own journeys through their careers, including the barriers they faced within their own cultures and from without, such as sexism, racism, and family pressures.
Professor Parveen Yaqoob from the University of Reading said: “It was a privilege to be involved in this event to inspire young girls from South-Asian backgrounds about the possible opportunities available to them.
“My own experience has taught me that you can do anything if you are determined enough. I would also like to thank the brilliant guest speakers who joined me to share their journeys to success.
“It was wonderful to see the students so engaged in listening to their stories, and learning how they overcame obstacles in their career to reach where they are now.”
Kate Thompson, a teacher from Reading Girls’ School, said: “The girls were buzzing with how great they found the day.
“When we got back to school, I got them to write down something they enjoyed, something they found interesting, something that surprised them, and something that had inspired them.
“There were lots of positive comments about the campus tours and some lovely write-ups about the wonderful guest speakers.”
Sahasra, a Year 10 student from Reading Girls’ School, said: “I think it is really inspiring that we got an opportunity to speak to those guest speakers and learn about their experiences.
“I believe everyone has their own special journey that consists of difficulties, but opportunities lie within.
“Knowing this has given me a chance to understand all the options available in life.”
