Celebrating International Women’s Day at NTU

Nottingham Trent University celebrated International Women’s Day with talks highlighting the experiences of inspirational women working in traditionally male dominated industries.

Nottingham Trent University (NTU) celebrated International Women’s Day with talks highlighting the experiences of inspirational women working in traditionally male dominated industries.

In the week leading up to International Women’s Day the University hosted a variety of talks and workshops open to staff, students and the public.

Jaega Wise, Head Brewer at Wild Card Brewery, spoke about her campaign to tackle sexism in the beer industry. Jaega talked about her fight to change sexist labelling practices, banishing antiquated stereotypes and misogynistic beer labels. She also delivered a ‘hops masterclass’ workshop for staff and students, teaching them how to identify different hops and how they influence the beers they’re brewed with.

Jaega, who is originally from Nottingham, combines her expertise of engineering, mathematics and logistics to lead the brewing team at Wild Card. In 2018, she was awarded the title of Brewer of the Year. Beyond her campaign, Jaega is part of the Venus Project, which aims to promote women in brewing through education and collaborative brewing.

Staff and students and local residents also heard from NTU graduate and professional racing driver Charlie Martin. She shared her unique experience of being a transgender woman in one of the most male-dominated sports. Charlie explained how she has overcome adversity to thrive in her career. She is currently on track to become the first transgender driver to compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Charlie realised she was transgender from as young as seven, transitioning to live as female midway through her career in 2012. She recorded her entire transition on her YouTube channel, helping to inspire people all over the world.

Cherie Pitcher came to NTU to talk about her experience working in the technology sector. Cherie expressed her strong belief that the digital industries present a great opportunity for both women, and for innovation and growth.

Professor Mark Biggs, Pro Vice-Chancellor and chair of the Nottingham Trent University Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team, said “International Women’s Day is a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise and celebrate the immense contributions women make to the world. It is a reminder that we need to continue to work to improve gender equality locally and beyond.

I am delighted that NTU was able to contribute to this effort over the past week, delivering a diverse programme of guest lectures, workshops and activities that celebrate the great work and achievements of women associated with NTU and Nottingham.

For NTU, inclusivity and the need to recognise the importance and richness of the intersectionality of women’s experiences were central to our IWD2020 programme of speakers, which sought to inspire and inform through speakers’ lived experiences.

We are proud to have curated a programme which we feel is reflective of a wide range of women’s voices from Nottingham and beyond.”

There were further talks and workshops throughout the week. NTU Lecturer Dr Irene Zempi hosted a lecture exploring the complex challenges faced by Muslim women in modern society. Female NTU PhD students and participants in the NTU Graduate Development Programme also took part in an informal version of the Three-Minute Thesis, where they were challenged to present their research/work to the audience against the clock.

Leading female experts from both NTU and University of Nottingham were also in Old Market Square in Nottingham on Sunday 8^th March, where they showcased their skills and shared their work with the local community with interactive exhibits

Notes for editors

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Nottingham Trent University (NTU) was named University of the Year 2019 in the Guardian University Awards. The award was based on performance and improvement in the Guardian University Guide, retention of students from low-participation areas and attainment of BME students.
NTU was also the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2017, and The Times and Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2018. These awards recognise NTU for its high levels of student satisfaction, its quality of teaching, its engagement with employers, and its overall student experience.
The University has been rated Gold in the Government’s Teaching Excellence Framework – the highest ranking available. It is one of the largest UK universities. With nearly 33,000 students and more than 4,000 staff located across four campuses. The University contributes £960m to the UK economy every year. With an international student population of more than 3,000 from around 100 countries, the University prides itself on its global outlook.
The University is passionate about creating opportunities and its extensive outreach programme is designed to enable NTU to be a vehicle for social mobility.
The University’s outreach work includes facilitating more than 700 activities each year, placing around 300 NTU undergraduates in local schools, working with 30,000 pupils and matching 1,000 volunteers to a range of community projects.
NTU is among the UK’s top five recruiters of students from disadvantaged backgrounds and was awarded University of the Year in the UK Social Mobility Awards 2019.
A total of 81% of its graduates go on to graduate entry employment or graduate entry education or training within six months of leaving.Student satisfaction is high: NTU achieved an 87% satisfaction score in the 2019 National Student Survey.
NTU is also one of the UK’s most environmentally friendly universities, containing some of the sector’s most inspiring and efficient award-winning buildings