Workshop Report AASSA Regional Workshop “Women in Science”

Countries in Asia represent different stages in economic development in numerous diverse development models. While at a first glance this may seem to be a barrier to cooperation, Asian countries can use it to their advantage by learning from the different development models of other countries. It is therefore a common challenge not just for the policy makers or governments of Asian countries, but also for Asian Academies to find an effective and efficient approach to economic development through scientific advancement.

All available resources must be utilized to achieve this goal. However, a common characteristic of most countries is that women are underutilized in the scientific workforce. In order to investigate potential solutions to this issue, and as a joint effort for the advancement of science in Asian countries, AASSA and the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences held a regional workshop on “Women in Science”, supported by IAP.

The main subtopics were: Government policies in promoting women scientists; Role of academic societies in advancement of women scientists; Best practice in promoting development of women scientists; Education of girls to become professionals in STEM.