This International Women’s Day, members of our Postgraduate community share their thoughts on technology and inclusion. Wenqian, Allie, and Dorsa reflected on UN Women’s 2023 theme #CrackingTheCode: Innovation for a gender equal future. They explained what the main focus of their research is, and why inclusive technologies are fundamental in our path towards social justice.
Wenqian Gan
About your research
There is a both a business and social justice case to diversify the engineering workforce so that it better represents the society from which it is drawn. My research examines the pathways and experiences of women international students in engineering to understand how cultural context influences engineering participation. The use of narrative methodology challenges deficit-based approaches that attempt to fix people, and shifts the focus towards systemic change within and beyond higher education.
What do you think is the link between innovation and inclusion? In which ways do you think innovation can help achieve a gender equal future?
A key similarity between innovation and inclusion is disrupting business as usual. The ways in which we think and work are historically rooted in systems of inequality. To achieve equality, an innovative lens is required to make radical changes to established practice. Being innovative also prompts us to think big about what we would like to achieve, and question our assumptions about what works. These mindsets enable us to do things that have never been done before.
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Quỳnh Anh Nguyễn (Allie)
About your research
My research focused on applying novel microbial community analyses to bring new insights into environmental engineering processes. These processes rely heavily on microbial activities and a more comprehensive understanding of the associated microbial communities can be used to develop better process operational strategies.
Under the scope of my research, I have successfully identified key microbial species related to membrane bioreactor fouling, elucidated the potential of cow’s rumen microbes to efficiently convert agricultural waste into valuable products, and demonstrated microbial chiral inversion of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs during waste and wastewater treatment. Insights gained from this work have important implications for the development of membrane fouling mitigation strategies, the production of renewable chemicals from agricultural was, and the monitoring of the toxicology of chiral compounds in the environment.
What does innovation mean to you?
To me, innovation does not necessarily mean inventing a completely new thing or way of doing things. To me, it means looking from a new angle or doing things in a better way.
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Dorsa Morshedi Rad
About your research
My research is centred around the development of a microfluidic device aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of cell-based cancer treatment. By applying mild mechanical forces to the immune cells, this microfluidic device enhances their capacity to receive genetic materials, boosting their ability to detect and specifically target cancer cells. This innovative technology strives to significantly improve disease outcomes and provide accessible treatment options to all patients impacted by this devastating illness.
How can we harness technology to achieve equality?
I strongly believe that technology holds immense potential to promote equity in several ways. Firstly, technology can ensure equal access to education and training through online platforms, thus bridging the gap for individuals who may not have access to traditional educational settings due to financial or geographical constraints. Secondly, technology can play a crucial role in promoting equity by increasing transparency and accountability in various domains. Social media and other digital platforms can serve as a powerful tool for people to voice their opinions and advocate change towards achieving greater equity and social justice.
Connect with Dorsa on LinkedIn