The European Union Delegation in Seoul, partnering with Sookmyung Women’s University and the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET), hosted an International Women’s Day event to highlight women's roles in science and technology. Held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza, the gathering discussed ways to boost female participation in STEM fields and celebrated achievements by women leaders.
The event gathered students, professionals, and academics to explore ways to enhance women's involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields while honoring accomplishments by female leaders in these areas. Women are underrepresented in STEM worldwide; in Europe, they comprise about one in three STEM graduates and one in five information and communications technology specialists. In Korea, women represent only 23.9 percent of STEM doctoral graduates, the lowest rate among OECD countries.
Organizers emphasized that closing the gender gap in advanced scientific training is vital for equality as well as for maintaining innovation and economic growth. The program opened with a session called “Stories from the Frontlines,” featuring four women from academia, industry, and research who shared their career paths. They outlined challenges in male-dominated sectors alongside opportunities that aided their progress.
A subsequent panel discussion addressed barriers hindering women's STEM participation and potential policy solutions to boost representation. “Promoting women’s participation in STEM is a matter of fairness and justice, but it is also about unlocking Europe’s and Korea’s full innovative potential,” stated Ugo Astuto, the EU ambassador to Korea. He added, “When women and men contribute equally to science and technology, research becomes stronger, solutions more inclusive, and societies more resilient.”
Astuto noted that the EU backs gender equality in research via programs like Horizon Europe and Erasmus Plus, which support collaborative projects and academic exchanges. Sookmyung Women’s University President Moon Si-yeun remarked, “Women in science and technology should not remain mere participants but become agents who design and lead change,” explaining that the university seeks to foster creative thinkers to tackle complex issues and broaden women's leadership.
Moon Aree, president of WISET, stressed, “Innovation in science and technology can truly be achieved only when talents with diverse perspectives participate throughout the entire research process.” Korea joined the EU’s Horizon Europe research program as the first Asian associated member on January 1, 2025. This partnership enables Korean researchers to join EU-funded initiatives on equal footing with European counterparts, with organizers anticipating strengthened EU-Korea research links and expanded opportunities for women scientists through efforts like the Marie Skłodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellowships.
