Encouraging ethnic minorities to go into science

Citation

(2004), "Encouraging ethnic minorities to go into science", Education + Training, Vol. 46 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2004.00446aab.012

Encouraging ethnic minorities to go into science

Encouraging ethnic minorities to go into science

A project aimed at raising awareness of science and technology among ethnic-minority groups is being funded by the EU. A key part of the Ethnic project will be to identify successful scientists from ethnic-minority backgrounds who can act as role models for children and young adults. Special events at schools in targeted areas of Britain, Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia will be organized to give young people from ethnic minorities access to such role models. The project will also work with the young people's teachers and parents to highlight the existence of negative stereotypes and will enlist their help in challenging them.

Recent census data from the UK indicates that ethnic minorities will account for more than half of the predicted 20 per cent rise in the country's working-age population by 2009. The trend is the result of a rapidly ageing white population and an increasing birth rate within young and established ethnic-minority communities. This pattern is mirrored in other EU states.

Further information is available on the Internet, at: http://www.bit.at/Ethnic/index.html.