The Business School has been recognised for its work in tackling gender inequality in higher education with a Bronze Athena SWAN award.

The Athena SWAN awards are organised by the Equality Challenge Unit (ECU), an organisation that works to further and support equality and diversity for staff and students in UK higher education. 

Imperial is among the first university business schools to receive the award, following the extension of Athena criteria to include gender equality in arts, humanities, social sciences, business and law. The Athena awards were originally set up to recognise commitment to advancing the careers of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, maths and science) subjects in higher education and research.

The award reflects the significant progress made by the Business School’s Diversity Committee in ensuring gender balance and boosting career development for female staff and students. The Diversity Committee is currently working on a number of initiatives to ensure gender equality is integral to decisions regarding recruitment, pay, promotion and committee representation.

Professor Nelson Phillips, Acting Dean of Imperial College Business School, said: “Gender equity is a key strategic goal for the Business School and one that I have prioritized during my time as Acting Dean. We only recently became eligible to apply for this award and the fact that it has been attained so quickly is testament to the sterling work already being done to solidify our position as a champion of gender equity."

He added: "Particular thanks to Diane Morgan, Rebecca Cope and Marisa Miraldo, all of whom have been instrumental in helping us become the first business school to achieve this important accreditation.”

The award is the latest among a number of efforts to increase gender diversity across the Business School. These include new Forté Foundation scholarships for outstanding female MBA candidates among a range of scholarships aimed at attracting talented women to the Business School’s programmes. Imperial also offers scholarships to female CEOs of scale up businesses to join the ELITE programme, a business education programme run in partnership with the London Stock Exchange.  

Diane Morgan, Associate Dean of Programmes in the Business School said: “Gender inequality in business education is a global challenge that Imperial is committed to tackling. This award builds on our recent successes in promoting women in business and business education, notably through our sponsorship of the Forté Foundation, becoming a member of the 30% Club and offering scholarships to outstanding female students. We’ve also appointed our first female Associate Dean of Faculty and Research who will help increase the visibility of female academics across Imperial’s academic community.”