School of Engineering Awarded Athena Swan Gold for Gender Equality Excellence

The School of Engineering at The University of Warwick has been awarded the prestigious Athena Swan Gold Award, the highest honour for exceptional and sustained commitment to gender equality in higher education and research.

The award, which is valid for five years, recognises the School’s long-term strategic efforts to embed inclusive practices, support underrepresented groups, and build a diverse, equitable academic environment. This milestone makes the School of Engineering one of only two departments at the University of Warwick to hold the Gold Award, alongside Warwick Business School (WBS). It is one of a handful of Engineering departments in the UK to hold Gold.

Associate Professor Modupe Jimoh, Athena Swan Champion for the School said, “It has been a great privilege to lead the process of this application. We initially wanted to go for a Silver renewal application, but realised that we were evidencing practices at a higher level.

“In January 2024, we decided to use the 12 months leading up to January 2025 to update the Silver renewal application that we had prepared to a Gold-level application, and I am grateful to the team and our contributors for embracing the vision and giving their best to make it happen.”

The Athena Swan CharterLink opens in a new window recognises institutions and departments that demonstrate excellence in embedding gender equality into their culture, structures, and practices. Gold status signifies that a department is a beacon of good practice, driving change across the sector.

The Women in Engineering Scholarship at Warwick has become one of the beacon activities initiated by the School of Engineering, widely recognised as a flagship initiative for advancing gender diversity in STEM. Their success inspired the Department of Computer Science to adopt a similar model when approached by an external sponsor offering scholarships for female undergraduates.

Drawing on the Engineering team’s proven framework, including candidate interviews and inclusion of ambassadorial skills, the programme was adapted with minimal changes, allowing Computer Science to launch its first scholarships in 2024. Beyond funding, the initiative helps enable talented women to be role models in STEM, amplifying their impact in the sector.

Professor Jo Collingwood, Associate Head of School, and Institutional Deputy Athena Swan Lead said, “I’m very proud that the School of Engineering has achieved Athena Swan Gold Status, recognising over a decade of our sustained efforts toward gender equality. While some initiatives, like hosting ICWES18, the impact of WUSAT, individual awards, and our Women in Engineering scholarships are visible externally, many are embedded in our daily work.

“One standout initiative is our annual survey on flexible working needs for staff with caring responsibilities, which informs the teaching timetable. It’s inclusive, respectful of individual circumstances, and simple yet highly effective, streamlining operations while supporting staff throughout their careers.”

Professor Emma Flynn, Provost at The University of Warwick said, “It is great to see the tireless efforts of so many people committed to making an inclusive environment for all get recognised in this very special way. The commitment to positive change runs through everything the School of Engineering does and it is great to see this award alongside the real change taking place on the ground.”

These efforts have increased diversity throughout the student and staff cohorts, including an increase in female representation at Professorial level from 6% at the time of the School’s Bronze Award in 2013, to 20% under the Gold Award. This success reflects years of progress through initiatives supporting staff and student visibility as role models, and policy development to create more inclusive ways of working.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The Gold application submitted for the Award can be found hereLink opens in a new window.

Photo Captions

Warwick Women's Engineering Society (WWES) winning the Bright Network 2019 Society of the Year Award for Diversity and Inclusion

Staff having a team building social in Jan 2024