Future You Australia’s Program Ambassador, Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith, recently travelled to Incheon, South Korea, to represent Australia at the first APEC Women in STEM Symposium. The landmark event was hosted by the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT together with WISET (the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology).
As an invited speaker, Professor Harvey-Smith joined an inspiring line-up of global leaders including HRH Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, Joyann Boyce (Founder & CEO of Include AI), Dr Chami-Young Cha (Max Planck Institute), and Asha Saxena (CEO, Women Leaders in Data and AI).
As part of the program, she attended a special luncheon with Ministers, Ambassadors, and senior government representatives, where she spoke about Australia’s recent progress in improving gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM).
At the main symposium, themed “Empowering Women in AI for a Sustainable Future,” Professor Harvey-Smith introduced delegates to Future You, our national program that sparks curiosity about STEM careers among primary school students, their teachers, and families. Future You breaks down stereotypes and shows children from all backgrounds that STEM is for everyone.
Professor Harvey-Smith said: “It was an honour to showcase Future You at this landmark event, reinforcing our mission to help all children imagine themselves as the scientists, engineers, and innovators of the future.”
The summit also featured a Girls in STEM workshop for students, reminding everyone that the pathway to greater equity starts with empowering the next generation.