- Aston University has been awarded Athena Swan Gold for its commitment to gender equality
- In celebration, over 100 inspiring women watched the Aston Villa Women vs Arsenal match on Sunday 24 March
- The University is an official partner of Aston Villa Women’s Football Club.
Aston University celebrated its recent success in achieving an Athena Swan institutional Gold award, only one of two Universities in England to have achieved the award, for its commitment to gender equality by welcoming over 100 women from the region to the Aston Villa Women’s match against Arsenal at Villa Park on Sunday 24 March.
The Athena Swan charter is a framework which supports and transforms gender equality within higher education and research.
It was originally set up in 2005 to encourage and recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM), but has since been extended to address gender equality more broadly.
Athena Swan is administered by AdvanceHE, a member-led charity which works to improve higher education.
Professor Zoe Radnor, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Business and Social Sciences and inclusion executive sponsor at Aston University, said:
“As an official partner of Aston Villa Women’s Football Club, Aston University was delighted to be able to welcome so many inspiring women to join us to watch the Aston Villa Women’s match and to celebrate our success in achieving the Athena Swan Gold award.
“The award reflects our commitment to be a truly inclusive university and to embedding inclusion across the institution in line with our Aston 2030 strategy.”
- Notes to Editors
Picture cation: Dame Yve Buckland, Sharonjit Clare, Kate Corbin, Professor Shivani Sharma, Dr Anita Bhalla, Dr Angela Jeffery, Dr Carmen Watson, Professor Hannah Bartlett, Professor Deb Leary OBE, Ruth Wall, Professor Zoe Radnor, Sharon Malhi
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sam Cook, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7446 910063 or email: s.cook2@aston.ac.uk
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