Page 68 - Koç University Annual Report 2020-2021
P. 68

Breaking the Glass Ceiling





          on campus, where they observed    Promising Impact
          undergraduate classes and worked   KUSWE’s events have a promising
          in a laboratory environment. While   impact. The Girls Who Code event’s
          the event now takes place online, the   success in guiding many high school
          format is the same. As part of the event   students to software and computer
          program, classes are organized for   engineering is a testament to the
          the participating students, broadcasts   club’s influence. Taking firm steps
          are streamed from the laboratory,   toward its mission, the club pursues
          and experiments are performed by   its goal of increasing women’s
          lab assistants, all made possible with   participation in STEM and achieving
          support from faculty members and the   gender equality.
          university.
                                            We also should note that club
          KUSWE has so far reached 200      members and managers benefit from
          high school and 300 undergraduate   planning and organizing the events as
          students through its events and has   a learning opportunity. Processes such
          plans to organize more activities in   as project management, teamwork, time
          the near future. For instance, a career   management, and crisis management
          event will be organized to host talks   that a student club should carry out
          with women engineers who studied   allow the students to enhance their
          engineering in Turkey or other    communication and organizational
          countries and currently work in other   skills.
          sectors. Another will be a volunteer
          project to reach middle and high   Working Toward Gender Equality
          school students.                  At its core, KUSWE advocates that






                                             Click to watch a clip from                              Click to watch a clip from
                                             the interview.                                          the interview.












           Zeynep Deniz Lal                                        Beyda Dur

           Chemical and Biological Engineering                     Computer Engineering
           Senior                                                  Freshman
           I joined KUSWE in 2018, my freshman year. During the    Last year, I actively took part in KUSWE’s Networking Event
           society’s promotional events, I noticed that the team had   and this year, I am on the Executive Board and responsible
           a very genuine bond. Since then, I have been involved   for corporate relations. My main responsibilities include
           actively in the society’s activities and served on the   maintaining the society’s relations with companies and
           Board for the last three years. Carrying out our activities   building partnerships through the events we organize. I am so
           at Koç University has many benefits. For instance, when   happy that I am studying in my favorite field and I will be an
           we communicate our intention to organize an event, the   engineer. I believe everyone should be able to stand on their
           Student Activities and Volunteer Projects Coordinators   own feet, and eliminating gender bias in engineering is crucial.
           from the Dean of Students and our advisor support us. I   I hope KUSWE’s activities deliver life-changing results not just
           also should note that we receive great feedback from our   for me but also for other women. I am excited to be a part of
           events and I find it highly motivating.                 this society and contribute to its goals.






         66  KOÇ UNIVERSITY ANNUAL REPOR T  2020-2021
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