\r\nIT engineer, ideas-person, blacksmith, beekeeper\u2026 Julie Henry has a life which is far from the run-of-the-mill. And is working on building a digital world in which women increasingly feel they belong.\r\n<\/p>\n\n\n
She has faith in the digital future. And is forever encouraging young people to embrace STEM (sciences, technologies, engineering and mathematics) educational pathways. Pushing them to imagine the professions of the future. Insisting on their social impact. And strongly encouraging girls to be part of the adventure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To pave the way for them, Julie Henry is working on an educational programme aiming to make teaching materials and education gender-neutral. \u2018It involves showing teachers their gender biases. For example, the fact that they give boys more time to express themselves in the classroom. And as a result of that, the girls get used to talking less, to interacting less.\u2019 And, in the end, get accustomed to sidelining themselves. Enabling girls to have more self-confidence is one of the keys to their inclusion in STEM courses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This project is part-and-parcel of her job as STEAM project manager \u2013 with an A for art. Once she had obtained her doctorate in computer science, the UNamur Rector, Annick Castiaux, offered Julie Henry a two-year contract to develop STEAM aspects internally and with external partners. It was in this way that the STEAMULI platform<\/a>, bringing together all of the Namur STEAM actors, was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n