Students at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia gathered to work on an engineering puzzle – how to create a mechanical hand that could lift a paperclip and a styrofoam cup, using only household objects. These weren’t just any students, though – the program was designed to encourage more girls to explore engineering.
The percentage of female students in information technology and engineering courses across New South Wales is low, the Department of Education said, ranging from 11 to 22 percent. The Dean of Engineering at UNSW noted that "we’re missing out on a huge amount of talent in what’s a really important profession." The event, co-organized with Google Australia, was an effort to expose more female students to the ways engineering can solve real world problems.
UNSW teams up with Google to boost female engineering numbers at university
More than 160 female school students have participated in an event co-organised by Google and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) designed to attract more girls into science and technology. The Power of Engineering event involved a workshop that asked students to create a mechanical hand …
