The Department of Electronic Engineering at Royal Holloway, University of London has been awarded Silver Athena Swan accreditation, recognising exceptional commitment and excellence in the advancement of gender equality, it was announced on Wednesday 5 February 2025, by Dani Glazzard, Head of Athena Swan at Advance HE.
AdvanceHE’s Athena Swan Charter was established in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in higher education and research. In 2015 the charter was expanded to recognise other disciplines and the rebranded charter now addresses gender equality more broadly, including issues affecting trans and non-binary staff and students.
Dr Stephen Alty, Head of Department of Electronic Engineering said,
“Right from the outset, we’ve championed an equality ethos which upholds our commitment to equality and diversity in all that we do in our dynamic department. To achieve Silver Athena Swan accreditation is wonderful recognition of our inclusive and supportive environment and a superb outcome for our Electronic Engineering staff, current and future student community. Many congratulations to all involved in this success.”
Dr Beenish Ayaz, who held a key coordinating role in the submission with fellow colleagues Dr Matthew Bryan and Lisa Fell from the department added,
“We are delighted to win this award and all that it represents in encouraging and advancing good practice. We’ll continue to work together to maintain a fair, inclusive and welcoming community benefitting from equality of opportunity in our department.”
The Department of Electronic Engineering at Royal Holloway is now in its seventh year of operation and the Athena swan silver status was awarded on its first submission. Royal Holloway received a £5m grant from the former 'Higher Education Funding Council for England' (HEFCE) towards developing the purpose-built Beatrice Shilling building with an ambition to encourage more female engineers to address the national shortage. The building provides a fantastic home for our thriving Electronic Engineering community that continuously strives towards greater gender diversity within the next generation of engineers. These efforts are supported by regular outreach activities, such as next weekend’s ‘Girls Do Engineering’ event for school year 11-13 students - click here.
Royal Holloway is firmly committed to the aims and principles of Athena SWAN with a series of departmental awards and University Silver status, recognising the good practice and principles of equality which are firmly established in the University's mission. This also reflects the University’s original foundation in 1849 (Bedford College) and 1886 (Royal Holloway College) as among the first institutions offering higher education for women to encourage equality of opportunity. To read more about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Royal Holloway click here.
