There is a special place for female international students at Southern Cross University’s “Women in Technology” program.
The advocacy program, through its coordinator, offers support and advice for women entering the information and communication technology (ICT) industry. It also holds regular networking events for female students enrolled in Bachelor of Information Technology.
A lot of groundbreaking work has been done by students with a passion for technology, now owners of startup businesses, because they had the smarts and the gumption to network with technology mentors as they put their ideas into actual products and services that work for the common good. A good example would be Flavia Tata Nardini, whose space education company taught kids how to build 3D nano-satellites, launching them into the stratosphere with balloons and later recovering the satellites and analysing the data they had collected.
“I think every company has a high level responsibility of education – this is very important for Australia. Especially to create this science and technology exposure for our girls. Without this exposure, they won’t even know it’s possible,” she says.
Nardini is currently developing satellite technology that will make connectivity accessible to everyone, citing as an example the potential for sheep farmers who no longer have to spend time driving around their vast properties to monitor sheep or infrastructure for maintenance but can immediately assess what tasks need to be prioritised using their smartphones.
For women with a passion for technology and who would like to be employed or start up a business in the ICT industry, the Bachelor of Information Technology program is a good start.
And where better to study it than in a friendly campus exclusive to international students like SCU Perth. Located in one of the world’s most livable cities, Perth offers a perfect balance of city living with lots of options for dining, shopping and entertainment, on one hand, and stunning beaches as well as inner city parks for a more laidback lifestyle preference, on the other.
