Gender Equality
Women's Application in Underrepresented Subjects
The University actively encourages applications from women in fields where they are traditionally underrepresented, particularly in STEM disciplines.
In 2025, this commitment was demonstrated through targeted school outreach, collaborations with regional industry and community organisations, and continued support for women entering and progressing through STEM study and careers.
HunterWiSE outreach and industry collaboration
The Hunter Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (HunterWiSE) initiative was founded by University of Newcastle academics and is delivered with support from local schools, industry and community partners. Through practical STEM challenges and contact with women working and studying in these fields, it encourages girls to consider university pathways in disciplines where women remain underrepresented.
HunterWiSE Outreach
HunterWiSE Outreach is a 10-week program for female students in Year 8 of high school. This program aims to positively shape girls’ perception of STEM, sparking interest in STEM education and careers.
In 2025, 170+ school students from 12 Hunter region schools completed 45 team projects. Thirty University of Newcastle student mentors, including three former Outreach participants, helped students develop practical STEM solutions to problems affecting their communities. Projects addressed issues including urban e-bike safety, sustainable construction, access to sporting facilities, public safety and disability awareness, using approaches such as coding, sensors, digital tools and engineering design.
The 2025 programme included weekly school-based mentoring, an on-campus or industry site visit and a final presentation to industry representatives. It was free for participating students and schools, including transport for site visits. These features make STEM learning and industry exposure accessible to girls who may otherwise have limited opportunities to explore those pathways.
At the University’s Great Hall on 21 October 2025, more than 650 students, families, teachers, industry representatives and University colleagues celebrated the programme’s final presentation night. Student teams demonstrated their projects to industry judges, bringing regional schools and STEM professionals together around practical problem-solving.
Partnerships that expand STEM opportunities
HunterWiSE is supported through University leadership and contributions from regional partners. The 2025 programme named collaborators including Glencore, Hunter Water, Ampcontrol, Bradken, Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG), GHD and Lake Macquarie City Council. Partners help connect participating girls with real workplaces, female role models and industry representatives, strengthening the pathway from school-based interest to future STEM study.
It fosters long-term engagement through deep collaboration with schools, government, and industry, aiming to build confidence, capacity, and aspiration among women in STEM.
Targeted outreach and representation
The University also uses Open Days and public outreach to make women in underrepresented careers visible. On 16 August 2025, STEM Sparks: Igniting Girls’ Futures in the Built Environment brought girls and families into hands-on activities exploring architecture, construction, environmental science and related fields. Delivered as part of National Science Week at the University’s Open Day, the event featured conversations with women working in STEM and take-home resources for regional school students.
The initiative was developed with industry and professional collaborators, including organisations supporting women in construction and the built environment. The University’s National Science Week 2025 report documented STEM Sparks as an activity designed to help young women recognise career possibilities they may not previously have considered. It complements HunterWiSE by reaching prospective students and families through a public University event.
Supporting women through STEM study and careers
HunterWiSE delivers three interconnected actions to support the participation of women and girls in STEM in Newcastle and the Hunter Region.
HunterWiSE Scholarships
The HunterWiSE Women in STEM Scholarship was established to support the participation of women in STEM careers.
The HunterWiSE Scholarship for Women in STEM provides a $5,000 payment to an eligible female student commencing a STEM-related degree at the University of Newcastle, supporting participation and connection to a professional network. In 2025, HunterWiSE welcomed a Women in STEM scholarship recipient alongside students supported through the NCIG–HunterWiSE scholarship. Scholarships contribute to the longer-term pathway opened through school outreach, while the University encourages scholars to engage in mentoring and industry activities.
HunterWiSE Network
The HunterWiSE Network is a robust regional network of women from industry, business, government, education, and academia. The HunterWiSE Network offers opportunities for women in STEM to connect and share experiences.
In 2025, the Network recorded 707 registrations across five events, including sessions on neurodiversity in the STEM workplace, International Women in Engineering Day, generative AI in the classroom and industry–mentor connections. These activities sustain engagement with women in STEM as students progress towards further study and professional careers.
By combining free, targeted outreach in 2025 with regional collaborations, role models and ongoing networks, the University helps more girls and women envisage and pursue study in fields where they have traditionally been underrepresented.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.