UW increases women in science, math

WATERLOO — Thirty per cent of first-year students in engineering at University of Waterloo are women, a record-high level.

The university is also on track to meet or exceed its goals of more female professors, more female leaders, and more girls in programs that encourage them to study science, math and engineering at university.

“I’m extremely proud to say progress in these areas is fantastic,” said Feridun Hamdullahpur, the university president, on Wednesday.

He spoke from the United Nations in New York City, where a gathering of university, business and government leaders from around the world was held to report on progress in these areas.

University of Waterloo is the only Canadian participant in an international task force, backed by the United Nations, of 10 universities around the world with that same goal.

“Women are as qualified … (as) anybody else” to excel in math, science and technology fields, Hamdullahpur said.

Waterloo committed to achieving a number of goals by 2020.

The proportion of women and girls enrolled in outreach programs, which encourage children to study these fields after high school, was to increase to 33 per cent by 2020. It’s already at 35 per cent.

Another goal for 2020 was that 30 per cent of professors would be female and that number is already at 29 per cent.

The final goal was that 29 per cent of senior academic and administrative positions would be filled by women and the university is up to 27.5 per cent.