Promotion of the book “Women in ICT and Science: the example of the Mihajlo Pupin Institute”
Last Friday, the promotion of the publication “Women in ICT and Science: the Example of the Mihajlo Pupin Institute” took place at the “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute. The event was attended by the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality of the Republic of Serbia, Brankica Janković, as well as numerous guests and employees.
The “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute is a scientific research institution that had an above-average participation of female researchers among its employees even before the Law on Gender Equality was adopted. In addition, the Institute should be commended for the fact that Serbia exceeds the European average in the representation of women researchers and employees in information and communication technologies.
At the beginning of the event, Nikola Tomašević, PhD, the director of the Institute, welcomed the audience with an opening speech.
“The “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute proudly recognizes and supports the initiative to publish a comprehensive collection showcasing the development paths and career achievements of female scientists and engineers at IMP. Since the very beginning, we have actively involved women in scientific and research projects and engineering positions. While we have achieved success in the domestic and European ICT scene, I believe there is still much work to be done. In the future, we will continue to implement affirmative measures to improve the position of both women and men in our work environment,” said Nikola Tomašević, PhD.
The promotion took place during the week of the National Day of Gender Equality in Serbia. According to the latest research by UNDP Serbia, there is still an imbalance in the ICT sector, with a particular focus on the insufficient representation of women in social and technological innovations.
“Such publications and books can inspire women and give them motivation to develop their careers,” said Brankica Janković, the Commissioner for the Protection of Equality. She particularly appreciated the fact that this publication presents the employees of the Institute, rather than focusing on the hardware or software that are the key products of the Institute. She is especially pleased that women are featured in the first publication of this kind.
After the official proceedings, a panel discussion was held featuring the former director of the “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute, Professor Sanja Vraneš, PhD, the author of the publication, Dušica Semenčenko, PhD; the Member of the Srna Association, Professor Aleksandra Buha Đorđević, PhD; and the Vice President of the Association of Business Women, Olivera Popović. The panel was moderated by the director of the Center for Science and Technology Development Research,Sanja Popović Pantić, PhD, who came up with the idea for the publication.
