BANGALORE: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will inaugurate the national seminar on `Women: Science and Technology' organised by Bangalore University's Centre for Women's Studies on August 21.

Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor H.A. Ranganath told presspersons here on Saturday that the four-day seminar was aimed at discussing the contribution of women to science and technology.

"The purpose of the seminar is to review, from a historical perspective, the participation of women in science and technology and also identify and examine current issues in the field," he said.

Director of the Centre for Women's Studies K.G. Uma, who is also organising secretary of the seminar, said a set of recommendations on how to harness science and technology to serve women's strategic gender interests would be submitted for consideration to the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is sponsoring the seminar.

Pointing out that the seminar would also address social and cultural issues as related to science and technology and the role and effect of science and technology on women, Ms. Uma said experts and eminent scientists and technologists had been invited for the parallel symposia, plenary sessions and paper contributions.

Delegates

Women scientists, technologists, researchers and academic would also present papers. Over 350 delegates were expected to participate in the seminar, she said. The main sessions include presentations on `Women in science and technology workforce,' `Perspectives of women in science and technology,' `Women in alternative sciences and technology,' `Women and healthcare' and `Science as a way of life.'

She said the proposal to conduct a national seminar on `Women: Science and Technology' gained momentum after the UGC organised a capacity building workshop for women managers on higher education in 2004. Academic professionals from science and humanities, who attended the workshop, examined the systemic and structural issues that faced women professionals in higher education and suggested that such a seminar should be organised, she explained.

The President would inaugurate the seminar at 10.45 a.m. at the Jnana Jyothi auditorium on the Central College campus on August 21. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa would attend the inaugural function, Ms. Uma added.

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