Graduate course on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Centre for Engineering in Society will be offering a course that will provide students with a thorough knowledge of equity, diversity and inclusion as it relates to academic and professional practices, in the Winter 2021 term. 

ENCS 691G: EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING

Instructor: Tanja Tajmel, Associate Professor, Centre for Engineering in Society

In this 4-credit course you will learn about the history of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and the relation to social power and (in)equity leading to the marginalization of women, Black people, People of Color, and Indigenous peoples in STEM fields.

Rooted in an intersectional understanding of gender and diversity, you will acquire skills to identify and address the inequity, marginalization and ‘othering’ you witness.

We will discuss current national and international policies on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), their legal background, purpose and effectiveness. Furthermore, you will learn about approaches to decolonize STEM and to analyze STEM projects with regards to equity.

Topics include: EDI policies; human rights, Indigenous rights; STEM as culture; STEM and colonialism; STEM biographies; bias in artificial intelligence; countering bias in innovations.

This course is designed for students in STEM disciplines (e.g. engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, etc.) but is open to students from other disciplines with an interest in the subject matter.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the historical and sociocultural dimensions of STEM
• Understand the rights-based approach of EDI
• Develop skills for identifying and addressing bias in STEM
• Develop an intersectional perspective on STEM knowledge and practice
• Analyze STEM knowledge and practice with regards to equity dimensions
• Ability to address equity and diversity in STEM research and practice 

Requirements:

• Interest in the topic
• Willingness to critically analyze, reflect and discuss STEM
• No pre-knowledge required

For more information or help in registering, please contact tanja.tajmel@concordia.ca