Hong Kong’s new academy for female medical scientists aims to bridge gender gap

Wise convenor Siew Ng (left) with the academy’s ambassador Shannon Chan at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin.

Photo: Jonathan Wong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has launched an academy to nurture the next generation of female medical scientists, aiming to bridge a sex gap in which women make up just one-third of researchers globally.

The Women in Science and Medicine Academy (Wise) aims to attract 100 early-career female researchers from the city and overseas in five years, supporting them with mentorship, leadership training and global exposure.

Professor Siew Ng, an associate dean of CUHK’s medical school and Wise convenor, said Hong Kong had the potential to become a regional hub for female medical scientists, but women’s participation in the field had been limited.

At CUHK, even though women comprised half of all medical students, only one in three fellows and non-fellows were women.

That largely aligned with the sex ratio of researchers globally. “Balancing family and research life is a huge challenge in itself, especially for those with children,” Ng said. “We are targeting researchers in the early stages of their careers, particularly those who are starting families.

As this is often their most challenging period, we aim to support them at this critical juncture so they can continue their professional journeys and access the right opportunities to build their networks.” Ng said Hong Kong had the right conditions to attract talented women because of its strategic location, mature academic and research systems, supportive government and strong equality between the sexes.

Through Wise, she hoped to attract local and foreign talent to become medical scientists and thrive while strengthening Hong Kong’s role in biomedical research and women’s scientific leadership.

Siew Ng (left) and Shannon Chan reveal details about the new academy.

Photo: Jonathan Wong The academy will provide mentorship from CUHK’s top medical scientists covering research strategies, grants and global collaboration.

It will also offer structured training, such as research management, scientific communication and competitive funding to equip students with the skills to lead both research and institutions.

Young researchers can leverage CUHK’s international network for overseas visits, conferences and partnerships.

Wise will also advance family-friendly policies, flexible research arrangements and peer support communities to help balance research, clinical

原文链接: 南华早报