The largest donation ever hauled in by the University of Sydney will fund a 20-year program to entice Western Sydney girls to study STEM with a sandstone.
The $100 million donation from the founder of AirTrunk, Robin Khuda, aims to address the under-representation of women studying STEM through a three-step program, involving:
- An outreach program for year 7-10 girls to ignite an interest in STEM, which will reach 2,000 per year (40,000 over lifetime of program);
- An Academy for girls in year 11 and 12, providing a bursary, group tutoring, mentoring by U Syd students and on-campus STEM activites, which will assist 60 students per year (1,200 students over the lifetime of the program); and
- The Khuda Scholars program for undergrads, providing a stipend and funds for uni-owned accommodation for those keen to move out of home. s program will graduate 300 women – an average of 15 per year for each year of the program.
The pipeline model involves collaboration with selected schools, and represents a tremendous commitment, at a cost of approximately $333,333 per graduate. If some grads choose not to work in STEM after completing their degree, then the cost per graduate actually working in STEM rises higher.
The eye-watering investment in relatively few graduates shows what Mr Khuda and the University of Sydney clearly believe is the immense cost of social change through pathways into HE – enough to leave Jim Chalmers shivering in his boots as the Government considers ways to usher an additional million under-represented enrollees into tertiary education by 2050.
At a time when the Accord is seeking to grow enrolments of under-represented cohorts, and the US is shutting down Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs, there will be significant interest in the implementation of the Khuda Foundation-funded program.
Recognising long-term issues with attracting female students to STEM study and careers, the program’s pipeline approach, shows bold thinking – financing a vertically-integrated system that creates its own recruitment funnel. This approach involves engaging large numbers of younger high school students in the hope of inspiring a select few to persist with their studies through to university.
To succeed, and not just cannibalise demand for programs at other institutions, the program will need to engineer changes to perceptions and career aspirations of both students and parents. For sustainable change to be embedded, the well-documented workforce cultural issues which currently prevent women from pursuing a career in STEM will also need to be addressed.
The $100 million is comprised of $74m for program delivery (Including scholarships); $24m for additional staffing across faculties and schools delivery the program and $2m for student life programs (the fun part).
The University will also provide a special admissions scheme for Year 12 students completing the Khuda Academy program.
The program will also consider girls and women facing obstacles to pursue STEM studies outside Western Sydney.
