IDFemale Researcher from UPJ Secures International Funding
Universitas Pembangunan Jaya has many researchers who are competent faculty members. One of them is a female researcher actively securing international research grants. She is Dr. Ida Nurhaida, S.T., M.T., a lecturer in the Informatics program who recently obtained a grant from the British Council for the collaborative project GENIUS (Gender Equality Networks for Indonesia and The UK in Sustainable STEM-AI education). Dr. Ida initiated this project in collaboration with colleagues from Cardiff Metropolitan University and Universitas Bina Nusantara. The aim is to promote gender equality to drive economic development and enhance social welfare in Indonesia.
In Indonesia, the role of women in the field of informatics is still relatively small. This gap is evident when many postgraduate students, doctoral candidates, and professionals in informatics are predominantly male. Therefore, the GENIUS project, led by Dr. Ida and her colleagues, strives to address the existing gender gap in Indonesia concerning women's access limitations to higher education, employment, career advancement, and leadership roles in STEM-AI (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – Artificial Intelligence). The project activities include seminars and STEM-AI robotics workshops targeting students, female teachers in primary and secondary schools, as well as female graduates. Additionally, there is a mentoring program directly supported by the EUREKA Robotics Center for young women, mentored by female mentors.
Dr. Ida reveals that this collaborative project will span one year and is funded directly by the British Council with a grant of £25,000 or approximately 500 million Indonesian Rupiah. In this project, Dr. Ida will represent UPJ as the associate partner for Indonesia, bridging UK partners with local partners in Indonesia. The activities will take place in two locations, one of which will be at Universitas Pembangunan Jaya, coordinated by Dr. Ida. "It is estimated that the seminar and workshop activities can be held for the first time in early 2024," said Dr. Ida. The desired outcomes of this project include publications and measurement of the participants' understanding during seminars and workshops.
Furthermore, with this project, Dr. Ida states that UPJ, as a partner in Indonesia, will benefit from an increase in the number of female applicants interested in studying STEM-AI at UPJ, serving as a promotional tool for UPJ's profile, especially for female students. Additionally, the project will establish sustained global partnerships between UPJ and other universities in the UK as well as partner universities in Indonesia. The hope is that this initiative will have a substantial impact on increasing the number of women taking leadership positions, improving the qualifications of female graduates, and reducing gender bias. (SHD)
