With the Dean of the School of Engineering, Mario Fernández, the Dean of Academic Development, Julio Fernández, the President of Antel, Carolina Cosse, and Dr. Inés Friss de Kereki, Professor of Programming at the School, in attendance, a series of talks was launched on Tuesday, May 20, by a group of 17 female students from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) is attending in Montevideo.
The arrival of these young women took place as part of the “Women in Technology, Science & Business” program, a joint initiative of the School of Engineering and the Office of Academic Development, within the framework of the academic collaboration Universidad ORT Uruguay the U.S. university.
The program combines Spanish language courses for foreigners and Uruguayan culture with training in Design Thinking, Scratch and robotics workshops, and academic visits to institutions and industries.
One of the program’s main attractions is the series of talks led by prominent Uruguayan leaders and entrepreneurs from both the public and private sectors, who are currently sharing their personal experiences.
The opening session took place in the Central Auditorium of the School of Engineering, where the Dean of the school welcomed the visitors, discussed the role of technology and innovation in national development, and emphasized the importance of more women studying engineering and entering the workforce.
“We need more female engineers, women leaders capable of understanding the innovation process, the opportunities created by technology, and a better understanding of women’s role in technology, science, and business,” said Mario Fernández.
Cosse, for her part, highlighted the need for women’s inclusion in male-dominated environments and the importance of teamwork.
The president of Antel also highlighted the social commitment of the company she leads and its commitment to involving more and more young women, and then detailed the results of the installation of fiber optics in Uruguayan homes in recent years.
Friss de Kereki began her speech by showing on screen what the first calculators she used in her childhood looked like, which drew laughter from the entire audience.
Her love of mathematics led her to pursue engineering, and over the years she discovered her calling in teaching.
After a brief overview of the use of educational tools for engineering and programming instruction, she elaborated on the Scratch programming language courses she conducted for the Ceibal Plan between 2011 and 2012, and particularly on the creation of the first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) for teaching programming to teenagers (Scratch MOOC for Teens).
Following the conference, Angie Wolters, associate director of the Women in Engineering (WIE) Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), who is accompanying the young women on their visit to Uruguay along with her assistant, graduate student Sahid Lines Rosado Lausell, described their experience so far as “fantastic.”
“The program that Universidad ORT Uruguay for our women packs so much experience into three weeks that it’s fabulous. They were given the opportunity to participate in a Design Thinking class with Uruguayan students, and they’re also learning Spanish and gaining an understanding of Uruguayan culture,” she said.
The 17 American students will continue to learn about the experiences of Uruguayan women working in technology, science, and business over the coming days.