Independence, dependence and structural change
In MINDtheGEPs, seven very different research organisations across Europe have worked together to develop and implement gender equality plans tailored to specific needs. One of those organisations is the University of Belgrade’s School of Electrical Engineering, ETF. The school is an independent legal entity, but it is also part of the University of Belgrade. That has implications for some of the actions that are part of ETF’s gender equality plan.
Despite the independent legal status, ETF needs to operate under the larger university umbrella. One example is PhD studies, where all activities fall under the jurisdiction of the University. This means that if ETF wants to change the composition of PhD thesis committees to ensure they include both men and women, that requires changes in the University’s regulatory frameworks.
However, ETF is not a small part of the University: it is one of the leading higher education and research institutions in electrical engineering and computer science in Southeast Europe, and the third largest electrical engineering faculty in Europe. Like most STEM institutions, ETF struggles with gender balance. Creating sustainable change in any organisations requires a combination of cultural and structural change, which in turn hinges on engagement, alliances and commitment from all parts of the organisation.
“We were pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm and assistance that we received from the newly formed research support office and administration staff, whose primary responsibilities are not related to the MINDtheGEPs project”, says Branko Lukić, Research Associate at ETF’s Robotics Lab and part of the project core team.
Building alliances with research support structures will help support long term structural change, at EFT and beyond. One of ETF’s core activities is to provide support for innovation programmes. Over the years, ETF has supported technology transfer for innovative products, solutions, technologies, and services for science and industry. When those products and services are developed in an organizational culture where gender equality is one of the core values, there is great potential for impact on European science and society.
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