The workshop was an opportunity to raise the profile of female researchers across SETU, and establish the future vision and goals of the group
Members of South East Technological University (SETU)’s Women in Research Network (WIRN) came together on Tues 29 November at the Cork Road Campus, Waterford, to take part in SETU’s first ever Women in Research Visioning Workshop.
Inspiring members
The WIRN aims to appeal to researchers of all levels, and to raise the profile and visibility of female and female identifying researchers at SETU. The day was hugely inspirational for group members, who enjoyed the networking and engagement opportunity.
The lunchtime workshop explored the accomplishments, challenges, quality of work experiences, insights and recommendations to build a more equitable and inclusive research community for women in research across SETU. Keynote speakers Dr Allison Kenneally, Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at SETU Waterford; Dr Geraldine Canny, Head of Research at SETU Waterford; and Dr Frances Hardiman, Head of Faculty of Engineering at SETU Carlow, were proud to share tales of triumphs and adversity, and profound reflections of their personal experiences as women navigating their research and wider careers.
Bringing SETU's research active female community together
The key objectives of the event were to increase the WIRN network and promote interaction between members, encouraging meetings, exchange of ideas, and the formation of mentoring or research relationships, while also collectively agreeing the purpose, direction and goals of the network going forward. Conversations extended beyond keynote sessions and brought together people of different disciplines, career stages and backgrounds opening opportunities for future collaboration.
Speaking of the importance of the group session, Eimear Fitzpatrick, HR Business Partner for Research and founder of the WIRN said, “This was a valuable opportunity to bring SETU’s research active female community together. We foresee that this workshop will help us to foster a stronger community with increased visibility and support to pave a better road for the future of women in research at SETU.”
Join the network
WIRN is an initiative of SETU’s Human Resource Strategy for Researchers (HRS4R). WIRN strongly encourages membership from women in SETU’s research community from under-represented groups, particularly those with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and the LGBT+ community.
The WIRN are actively seeking new members, should you wish to join this new network please visit: https://www.cognitoforms.com/SETU10/WomenInResearchNetwork