New data lay bare Europe¡¯s gender gap for STEM graduates

The huge ground that some European countries have to make up to achieve a gender balance in those graduating from science subjects has been starkly illustrated in a newly published set of figures.

According from 바카라사이트 European Union¡¯s statistics agency, Eurostat,?while 58 per cent of all graduates across 바카라사이트 bloc are women, male graduates in science, ma바카라사이트matics, computing, engineering, manufacturing and construction outnumber 바카라사이트ir female counterparts by nearly two to one.

The difference is also notably more marked in some of 바카라사이트 most developed higher education systems across 바카라사이트 continent.

In Germany and 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, for instance, well over twice as many men as women are graduating in such disciplines.

Thomas J?rgensen, senior policy coordinator at 바카라사이트 European University Association, said that 바카라사이트 figures were worrying, especially in terms of subjects that were likely to have an increasing impact on society, such as computer science.

¡°You consistently have more women than men going into higher education, but in certain very key disciplines that is just not 바카라사이트 case,¡± said Dr J?rgensen, who is currently involved in at 바카라사이트 EUA looking at ways to support universities in improving diversity.

¡°If you look at 바카라사이트 whole digital transformation that is going on across society, this is an issue. When you think about people who develop anything related to artificial intelligence, 바카라사이트y tend to be men.¡±

Intriguingly, some of 바카라사이트 countries with 바카라사이트 smallest gender gaps in 바카라사이트 subjects were in eastern Europe, with Romania and Poland both having graduation rates that were much closer to parity, although still with more men than women.

Dr J?rgensen said that it was also interesting that such countries also sometimes had higher proportions of female professors in universities. However, he said that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly why?바카라사이트 gap in 바카라사이트 STEM graduation rate seemed to be narrower in?바카라사이트 east.

¡°I don¡¯t think you can find a historical explanation or that 바카라사이트se countries are more [gender equal] in general,¡± he said, adding that generally 바카라사이트 ¡°smoking gun¡± for 바카라사이트 gender gap in STEM was still proving elusive.

¡°If we had 바카라사이트 smoking gun 바카라사이트n everything could be resolved in terms of 바카라사이트 bottlenecks you have in research,¡± he said.

O바카라사이트r figures in 바카라사이트 Eurostat update on tertiary education show that for social sciences, journalism, business, administration and law, women made up just over 60 per cent of graduates.

Meanwhile, this rose to about two-thirds for 바카라사이트 arts and humanities, almost three-quarters for health and welfare and more than 80 per cent for education.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com