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On International Women’s Day (IWD), Heriot-Watt University is marking the achievements and contributions of female staff and academics across its global community.
This year, the University is paying homage to the IWD theme for 2024, ‘Inspire Inclusion’, and recognise the resilience, intelligence and leadership qualities displayed by colleagues who are helping shape Heriot-Watt’s future.
From pioneering research to groundbreaking innovations, Heriot-Watt’s female leaders continue to inspire and empower the next generation of changemakers.
This ethos is central to Heriot-Watt’s pledge to equality and inclusion as expressed through its values-led strategic document, Strategy 2025.
Leadership and resilience
Several prominent female leaders have shared their experience of working in higher education and how they are now helping others fulfil their career ambitions.
Professor Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal of Business and Enterprise, has been with the University since 2016 and is responsible for developing the Enterprise and Business Engagement Strategy, mobilising Heriot-Watt’s intellectual and capital assets to effect greater impact regionally, nationally and globally.
Reflecting on the challenges and opportunities that have played a part in her career, Professor Murray said: “Building a strong network both for personal support and professional connection is key, as is taking time to promote your achievements. Pathways aren’t always clear and sometimes you need to go backward to go forward.
“It is very easy to look back and see the connections between career decisions that I have made but, in the moment, and at the time, the strategic nature of individual career decisions are not always so evident. Looking back the common thread in my journey has been the relationships that I have built along the way that often have resulted in unexpected opportunities.
“Nothing has been linear.”
Women in business
Heriot-Watt has a range of scholarships open to students, many from minority or disadvantaged backgrounds, offering supported pathways into education.
This includes the Edinburgh Business School’s Shaping Women Entrepreneurs Scholarship, delivered in partnership with the 30% Club GCC, and the Women in Zambia Scholarship, which offered 30 fully funded distance learning opportunities for the Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme.
Professor Dame Heather McGregor, Provost and Vice Principal of Heriot-Watt University Dubai, believes empowering women through education is critical.
She said: “I am a great believer in lifelong learning and continuous improvement, and upskilling myself. It is important to aim high.
“I try and mentor as many women as I can, and this has included many at Heriot-Watt.”
In offering advice to women starting out in their careers or studies, Professor McGregor adds: “Remember two things. Firstly, there is no such sentence as ‘I can’t do it’. The word you need to add to the end of that sentence to make it valid is ‘alone’.
“Secondly, the value of the relationships you invest in, your social capital, is as valuable to your career as any of the qualifications and experience that you have. So make sure you invest as much effort in relationships as you do into your education.”
One of the Arab world’s most distinguished business leaders, Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg Pro-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University’s Dubai campus, is a longstanding advocate of female empowerment in the workplace. She has been instrumental in increasing the number of women entering employment across the UAE and was named second in Forbes Middle East 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen for 2023.
She said: “Women and young girls everywhere face an immense challenge; from the inability to access food, education and employment to adequate healthcare. Opportunities that are not defined by gender have yet to be universally achieved.
“From corporate boardrooms to leadership around the world, the lack of women in senior positions continues to hinder progress on issues from pay to humanitarian aid.
“Whether the goal is to lift women and girls out of poverty or support the success of female entrepreneurs and those in workforce, research shows that companies perform better, and societies are stronger when women participate fully.”
Inspire inclusion
Juggling the demands of family life with a career is a familiar challenge faced by parents around the world.
The Chief Operating Officer and Registrar in Malaysia, Janice Yew, is someone who knows these pressures first-hand.
“I’m acutely aware that I’m blessed to not have been discriminated against as a woman in my career but I do know women who are not as lucky,” she said.
“So, it is pertinent that women are valued and supported for them to flourish and contribute to the workplace.
“In my chats with young women, I realised that most of the questions asked how I survived the corporate world and got to where I am, as a woman, a mother while juggling a demanding job.
“I did have to decide as a young mother, to change my career path, to focus on the family. I hope to now use this experience to help other women facing similar challenges, to help them forge successful careers.”
These are just a few examples of the extraordinary women who embody Heriot-Watt’s commitment to excellence, diversity, and inclusion. Their leadership, innovation and dedication serve as a testament to the transformative power of women in academia and beyond.
International Women's Day
IWD was first held in March 1911 and is an opportunity for organisations worldwide to reinforce their ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The University is committed to advancing gender equality and is actively working to create an inclusive environment where people of all sex and gender identities feel welcome and supported.