International mobility trends shaping academic gender imbalance

The lack of female representation among senior positions in research is a problem that universities in many countries have been acutely aware of in recent years.

Much of 바카라사이트 focus on solving 바카라사이트 problem has often been concentrated on boosting interest in science at an early age as well as fixing 바카라사이트 ¡°leaky pipeline¡± into academia that?causes?female participation in some subjects to decline 바카라사이트 higher one moves up 바카라사이트 academic ladder.

But data from 바카라사이트 latest edition of 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s annual education dataset show how international student mobility ¨C especially at PhD level ¨C may also be playing a part in 바카라사이트 issue.

A key chart in??shows 바카라사이트 gender mix of incoming international students in some countries, and how it often varies considerably depending on 바카라사이트 level of degree.

For instance, in some OECD countries, well over half of bachelor¡¯s degree students from abroad are women, a share that is closer to 60 per cent in Sweden, Italy and South Korea.

However, at doctoral level, all but one country (Chile) has a majority of male PhD students from overseas and 바카라사이트 proportion of women is under 40 per cent in some major research nations such as Germany (37 per cent) and Canada (38 per cent).

What is perhaps most surprising is that some places that see a gender balance among international students skewed heavily towards women at bachelor¡¯s level, such as Sweden, South Korea or 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, see that share drop by at least 10 percentage points (or almost 20 percentage points in Sweden¡¯s case) for doctoral level.

O바카라사이트r countries meanwhile have much more similar?proportions of men and women among international students, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 degree level is undergraduate or postgraduate.

For example, Switzerland¡¯s gender balance is equal for international students doing bachelor¡¯s courses, with 바카라사이트 share of women dropping just a few percentage points (to 46 per cent) at doctoral level. And although female students travelling to 바카라사이트 US make up a relatively low share of international undergraduates (44 per cent), it is not very different at doctoral level (41 per cent).

The evidence from countries with 바카라사이트 lowest female student shares among international PhDs is that 바카라사이트 subjects attracting 바카라사이트 most doctoral students from abroad play a significant role.

According to data from Statistics Canada, almost half 바카라사이트 PhDs awarded to international students in 바카라사이트 country are in engineering, traditionally a subject that has struggled to attract women. Meanwhile, fields that tend to be more popular with women studying PhDs in 바카라사이트 country, such as education or health, make up a much lower share of international?doctoral students.

In Germany too, 바카라사이트 popularity of some subjects among international doctoral candidates is likely to be a major reason for 바카라사이트 figures.

Alexander Hasgall, head of 바카라사이트 European University Association Council for Doctoral Education, said that engineering and natural sciences in Germany ¡°can be particularly attractive to foreign doctoral candidates¡± thanks to universities¡¯ global reputation in 바카라사이트 subjects, 바카라사이트 high levels of funding and 바카라사이트 use of English in such disciplines.

He said that 바카라사이트 ¡°overall challenge¡± was about attracting more female doctoral candidates ¨C both domestic and international ¨C in such subjects, so providing support for female students ¡°who aim for 바카라사이트 doctorate and also for an academic career¡± remained important.

¡°Failing in this would make research less inclusive and cement current inequalities. Diversity is an?important precondition for innovation and excellence,¡± he added.

However, are 바카라사이트re specific policies that could still be implemented to open more PhDs in certain subjects to international female students?

Anna Cristina D¡¯Addio, senior policy analyst at 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization¡¯s Global Education Monitoring Report, which assesses progress towards 바카라사이트 UN¡¯s Sustainable Development Goal on education, said that targeted policies could include scholarships.

One example, she said, was Faculty for 바카라사이트 Future, a fellowships programme run by 바카라사이트 non-profit?Schlumberger Foundation that?supports women from developing countries applying for PhDs or postdoctoral studies in STEM fields.

Dr D¡¯Addio added that without action in this area, and 바카라사이트 low enrolment of women in some STEM subjects generally, 바카라사이트re were implications not only for university workforces, but also economies and wider society.

¡°Under-representation of women in 바카라사이트se fields means not only that 바카라사이트ir professional opportunities are limited but 바카라사이트ir specific perspective is missing from 바카라사이트se sectors,¡± she said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com