Robert Gordon University’s (RGU) commitment to developing future female leaders has been commended by the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Parliament welcomed RGU’s involvement in the Aurora Leadership Development Programme, which aims to develop future women leaders for higher education, and for its launch of a series of publications to celebrate women working in the university.
A motion was submitted to the Scottish Parliament by Ross Thomson MSP to recognise the second ‘Celebrating Women at RGU’ publication, which celebrates the university’s engagement in the Aurora Leadership Development Programme.
RGU was one of the first universities in the UK to get involved with Aurora and has sponsored 37 women through the programme, which is designed to enable women from across the university to engage with leadership development at an earlier stage in their careers.
Members of the Scottish Parliament congratulated RGU for its work in promoting gender equality and helping women working across the university identify as leaders and grasp opportunities for personal development and continued career satisfaction.
Ross Thomson MSP said: “I was delighted to submit a motion to Parliament congratulating RGU for its important work in promoting gender equality and helping women working across the university identify and grasp opportunities for personal development and continued career satisfaction.
“It is fantastic to see one of Scotland’s foremost educational institutions forging the way in creating inspirational women leaders, and I sincerely hope that Aurora will give more women the encouragement and opportunity to become leaders in their fields.”
The publication presents a series of profiles of some of the university’s Aurora participants, reflecting on their experiences of taking part and what they have gained from the programme since its establishment in 2013.
It has been produced by RGU’s Gender Equality Champion and its Women’s Network as the second in a series of brochures planned to celebrate women working at the university.
Alison Watson, chair of RGU’s Women’s Network, says: “I am delighted that the university’s engagement with Aurora and the Celebrating Women at RGU publications have been commended by the Scottish Parliament.
“It is hugely momentous that our efforts to mark the significant contributions of female staff and to encourage future female leaders have been recognised in this way.”
The first edition of ‘Celebrating Women at RGU’ was launched in June last year and focused on women who work and study within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
The third volume, which will focus on females at RGU in the arts and social sciences, will be produced in early 2017.
The ‘Celebrating Women at RGU’ publications can be viewed online at: www.rgu.ac.uk/celebrating-women-at-rgu