ORGANISATION

Deusto Institute of Technology, DeustoTech, is a university research institute of the University of Deusto and part of the Faculty of Engineering. DeustoTech was created with the mission to conduct research in Electronic, Information and Communication Technology, promote the transfer of technology to companies and strengthen high-level training.
 

CHALLENGE

The aim is to design mechanisms to promote the vocation of women towards research in the field of Electronic, Information and Communication Technology (EICT) and associated engineering degrees. Consequently, the research requested is the public perception of technology and to devise mechanisms that provide a positive image of these sectors, particularly among women. One of the key supporting concepts could be the motto of DeustoTech: “Technology that matters”.​

IMPROBABLE COLLABORATOR
Remedios Zafra, She is a writer and professor of Art and Innovation at the University of Seville, has a PhD in Fine Arts, International Master in Creativity and completed graduate studies in Art, Philosophy and Social and Cultural Anthropology. She is director of the X0y1 platform for artistic research and production into identity and network culture.

REMEDIOS ZAFRA´S PROPOSAL

Her techno hobby/her techno job” has been conceived as an innovation and research project that aims to address the problems arising from the lack of women’s vocations in the research field in electronics, information and communication technologies and associated engineering degrees.
Vocations are related to cultural imaginaries and models, to social expectations, to the processes of play and education and also to the intrinsic makeup of the fields of engineering and technological research.
Consequently, the project has been structured upon three areas of action in response to the need for pluralistic and integrated approaches: 1. Cultural imaginaries, 2. Spaces for training and to choose higher studies, and 3. Engineering faculty.

The Improbable project is carried out within the general framework of DeustoTech and the Faculty of Engineering itself. The team comprises 10 people, including the Dean, director of DeustoTech and heads of the Research Units.

Three sub-projects have also been initiated based on these:

• Tecnoimaginarios: Interventions aimed at creating and disseminating creative works to make female technologists and engineers visible.
• Lovetek: Incentives for study and research into engineering.
• DecoTEIC: Seminars to introduce gender transversality in engineering.

RESULTS

• Report with conclusions and results.
• Mini-web novel: “History of a Nameless Woman”
• Script and illustrations for an animated film or picture book: “Adas: The Origin of Programming”
• Database of creative capsules on women and technology open to public participation on the web.
• Conditions of Lovetek competition call for creative projects on “technology and future”.
• Seminar on “Gender and engineering” to launch a series of periodic “DecoTEIC” seminars to continue working on the issue and attempt to mainstream gender content in courses and research projects.
• Opening of a pool of ideas on “mechanisms to incentivise women’s vocations in the field of technology”.
• Directory of resources on gender and engineering (bibliography, videographic resources, articles, research, conferences and other related initiatives).