Too many women STEM students drop out before entering careers: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

While women enter STEM (science,technology, engineering and mathematics) education in large numbers in the country, too many drop out at the stage of entering professional roles, lamented Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson, Biocon.

“India does not have a pipeline problem in science, it has a transition problem,” she said, while speaking at the onboarding of the first cohort of BioWISE, an initiative to empower women for employment in STEM (mostly in life sciences) areas, held at Biocon Park in the city on Friday.

The Biocon Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of Biocon, in collaboration with the Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster (BeST Cluster) and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), formally onboarded the first batch of BioWISE.

These 15 postgraduate women students were selected through a multi-stage process from over 350 applicants across tier 2 and tier 3 colleges in Karnataka for a six-month internship programme, including scholarship and mentorship. As part of the training programme, 25 women students, 15 postgraduates and 10 undergraduates from tier 2 and tier 3 universities across Karnataka would be supported with academic training spanning biotechnology, life sciences, microbiology, bioinformatics and allied disciplines, enabling them to build sustainable STEM careers.

The BioWISE was a strategic intervention where talent met opportunity, Ms. Mazumdar-Shaw said, adding, “This programme is about building confidence and ecosystems of support so women not only stay in science, but lead, innovate, and shape the future of India’s scientific enterprise.”

Fifteen women STEM training participants have been placed with the National Centre for Biological Sciences (1), Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (2), Indian Institute of Science (5) and Biocon (7), where they would be working alongside scientists and industry professionals on live research and development programmes.

Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) in a virtual address, said, “The future of science and innovation will depend on how inclusively we nurture and strengthen our talent pipeline. When women are given equal access to opportunities, supported in their growth, and empowered to lead, the entire ecosystem benefits.”

According to Anupama Shetty, mission director, Biocon Foundation, in addition to the 15 postgraduate interns, the programme would also support 10 undergraduate students through scholarships, short-term internships and mentorship modules during the year, creating early exposure and continuity for them to enter into the STEM careers.