Role models for female leadership at the University of Belgrade
Supporting women in their decisions to take on leadership roles is crucial in order to achieve gender equality in decision making bodies. The University of Belgrade’s School of Electrical Engineering recently appointed Assistant Professor Aleksandra Krstić Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs. In addition to the competence and capacity she will contribute to the School of Electrical Engineering, this appointment supports the gender mainstreaming efforts at the University of Belgrade – where female leaders will also play an important role as models to inspire others.
MINDtheGEPs’ gender equality plans include measures to support women’s career progression and empowering women in decision-making. According to Kosta Jovanović, Associate Professor at the Department of Signals and Systems and leader of the MINDtheGEPs effort at the University of Belgrade’s School of Electrical Engineering, they have already seen progress in this area. And at the School, the need for female role models seems to be growing.
“In recent years, more girls and young women have recognized professional opportunities and career paths in engineering. The latest figures tell us that 34 % of the students enrolled in the first year at the School of Electrical Engineering are women, which represents an increase of about 50 % in the last 10 years”, says Kosta Jovanović.
To address the need for female role models, the school recently hosted activities for introducing students to role models, for example a workshop on gender equality in engineering. The workshop was organised together with women leaders at the Chamber of Engineering in Serbia. The appointment of the new Vice-Dean Aleksandra Krstić signals a progression in the empowerment of women at the institution itself. According to Kosta Jovanović, this shift in attitude is reflected among the school staff, showing more recognition of women as essential contributors in key decision-making bodies like committees and boards.
Aleksandra Drecun is part of the MINDtheGEPs team. She is a Doctor of Law, Advisor to the School of Electrical Engineering on Responsible Research and Innovation and the President of the Center for Science and Technology Intersection, and in that respect a female leader and role model herself. According to her, it has been a long time since the School of Electrical Engineers had a female Vice-Dean.
“Better gender balance in the main decision-making body is of great importance”, says Aleksandra Drecun, and continues to say that the MINDtheGEPs team wishes Aleksandra Krstić great success in her new role, and looks forward to her inspiring other women at the School of Electrical Engineering and beyond to follow in her trail.
By Marika Ljungberg