Empowering the female innovators of tomorrow: Go Beyond’s Women in STEM Celebration
In a resounding celebration of innovation, Morson Group and the University of Salford recently collaborated to host the inaugural Go Beyond Women in STEM event, held at the university’s Maker Space, a hub of creativity funded by Morson Group.
Go Beyond was established in 2020, with a mission to support final-year female engineering students at the University of Salford. By facilitating connections with industry mentors, the programme equips mentees with crucial guidance, industry role models, and a supportive engineering environment to navigate their transition from academic studies to working in the industry. Recognising the burgeoning interest amongst female students in STEM fields, the Maker Space extended Go Beyond from last September to encompass all three academic years. This expansion not only broadens the programme’s reach, but also fosters stronger relationships with industry professionals, instills confidence, and hones essential skills for future employment.
The crescendo of this ongoing endeavour was the recently held Women in STEM celebration event, held on International Women’s Day of this year. This landmark event united students across all three academic years for a dynamic STEM summit, showcasing the vibrancy and talent of women working in STEM fields. The day was hosted by leadership and career coach, Claire-Marie Boggiano, and the day began with a warm welcome from Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Simone Buitendijk, setting the stage for an inspirational day of discussion.
Following introductions, Dr. Shini Somara, a distinguished female figure in the world of engineering, delivered a stirring keynote urging attendees to harness their differences to make a difference – a message that resonated deeply throughout the day. Somara followed up by moderating the first panel of the day, where the topic ‘Developing your superpowers for future careers’ was discussed by panellists Melissa Ahmed of TechWumen, alongside Maria Williamson and Chloe Hughes from Morson Projects, who shared invaluable insights and experiences of their time working in the industry.
A second topic of discussion, ‘Practical steps to secure work experience and your next opportunity’ shortly followed, moderated by the originator of the Go Beyond programme, Dr. Maria Stukoff, which consisted of panellists Laura Conroy, delivery manager at United Utilities, Paula Courchene, University of Salford’s career consultant, Sarah Bateman, CEO of Unify Energy, and Professor Chloe James, University of Salford’s chair of microbiology, offering pragmatic advice and actionable strategies for students to seize opportunities and navigate their career journey effectively.
The event wasn’t just about these panels and speeches, however. It was a vibrant platform for networking and engagement. Attendees had the opportunity to explore career support services, engage with industry partners, and gain insights from lightning talks by University of Salford STEM postgraduate researchers Esraa Elmarakby, Heba Elgamodi, and Holly Broadhurst.
The event drew to a close with associate dean of student experience, Dr. Gemma Lace, and BSc Biomedical Science student, Sara Kassam, leaving the attendees with impassioned reflections, fuelling their determination to forge ahead in their STEM pursuits. The resounding success of the inaugural celebration underscores the collective efforts of the industry, the University of Salford, and Morson Group to foster diversity and inclusion within STEM fields – as we look to the future, we eagerly anticipate building on this momentum and continuing to empower the next generation of women in STEM. The next Women in STEM celebration will be 5th March 2025 – so save the date!
The Morson STEM Foundation aims to support people from all backgrounds explore, and pursue, pathways into engineering-related careers. With the immense demand for STEM skills in the UK, we’re investing in education and aspiration, working hard to change lives and ensure a sustainable future for the industry and the wider economy. Find out more here
Watch Morson Projects’ GoBeyond panellist Chloe Hughes feature on our PathFinders series here, where she maps out her career journey into aviation stress engineering via robotics and AI.
