Networks

Thinking of the future:

The ACU is planning to develop a new, pan-Commonwealth, interactive network which will connect as many as possible of the women who have participated in ACU gender-related workshops, and any others who may wish to benefit from the network, as a means of providing support and information to women working at senior levels in higher education. The network will aim to provide:

• news: about appointments, successes, publications, research, grants
• views: about and from women working in higher education
• events: conferences, meetings, workshops
• advice: posing problems, seeking help/solutions.

If you are working at an ACU member university and would like to be included in this network, please send your full name and contact details (including your position in your university and, of course, your email address) to d.garland@acu.ac.uk.

Reviewing the past:

A number of national level networks have been established over the years, building on the contacts that have been made at ACU and ACU-CHESS workshops to provide support and information to women in higher education in the Commonwealth. These are some examples:

1.  Network of Women in Higher Education in the Pacific (NetWHEP)

Following the Commonwealth Secretariat sponsored workshop of Women Managers in Higher Education, held in June 1994, the participants formed the NetWHEP. Its goals are: to bring about gender equity in higher education management in the Pacific region. Among the objectives NetWHEP has set itself are: 

• To extend and enhance the links among women in managerial and supervisory roles in higher education institutions and those aspiring to such positions in other educational institutions in the Pacific regions.
   
• To provide opportunities for women in managerial and supervisory roles to collaborate in activities which would enhance their productivity and effectiveness.
   
• To strengthen training programmes aimed at creating awareness of the need for gender balance in the academic and management areas of higher education and creating these where they do not exist.
   
• To foster co-operation among higher education institutions, for the sharing of communication and information technology and the expert knowledge of these held by those within the network, which will enhance the work of women managers and supervisors.
   
• to provide women managers and those aspiring toward similar roles, with opportunities for advanced and appropriate training and/or research in the area of higher education.

NetWHEP, since its formation, has held a number of workshops, seminars and satellite meetings.

(For further information on NetWHEP contact NetWHEP Chair, Elizabeth Reade-Fong, at USP Library, P O Box 1168, Suva, Fiji and Fax : 679 302409 and e-mail: Fong_e@usp.ac.fj)

2.  The Malaysian Universities Women's Information Network was established, as its name suggests, as a national network for university women, run by Dr Khadijah Mohamed.

3.  The Sri Lanka Senior Women's Group was established in July 1999 following an ACU-University Grants Commission sponsored workshop in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The participants formed themselves into a core group to act as the focal point for future work. The key contacts at the time were: Chitra Karunarathne (UGC Secretary) and Dr Nayani Melagoda.