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SCMP Reporter

GIRLS are as competent as boys, even in the male-dominated engineering domain, according to a group of potential female engineers who have decided to let their abilities speak for themselves.

   Cheung Mei-ling of TWGHs S. C. Gaw Memorial College, one of the 161 Form Six students who took part in the Engineering Summer Camp at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology this month, has decided on civil engineering as her first choice in university.

  'I don't believe girls are inferior to boys in the field of engineering. As long as one is interested in the subject, there should be no problems,' said the 17-year-old.

  Mei-ling is not alone. Thirty per cent of the camp participants (68) were girls.

  The summer camp, organised by the university's School of Engineering, was aimed at giving potential students a better understanding of the subject and career prospects.

   It also aimed to encourage more girls to enter the field.

  At present, only 10 per cent of the engineering students at the university are girls.

  'I always thought that engineering was a boys' subject, but that changed after I attended the talks and the laboratory sessions.

  'Girls are no weaker than boys,' said Jennifer Mok Yuen-fan of Diocesan Girls' School, who is interested in pursuing a degree in industrial engineering.

  Some boys, however, seem to have doubts about girls' capability when it comes to technology.

  Jennifer recalled her experience working with five male teammates on a design contest in which they were required to build a bridge.

  'They were so negative about girls' ideas.

  'We had to repeat our proposals several times before they would even consider them,' she told Young Post .

  The students spent six days at the university, attending laboratory sessions, talks, visits, field trips and a construction design contest.

  Dr Mamie Lau of the Environmental Protection Department, speaking during a banquet specially organised for the female participants, reassured the girls of their opportunities in the field.

  'Engineering is a male-dominated field but there has been increased participation from women.

  'The field is not only about constructing and building things but dealing with people and conducting research,' Dr Lau said.

  She said apart from the conventional civil, electronic, industrial and structural engineering that were widely recognised by Hong Kong people, there were other areas of engineering like astronaut engineering, agricultural engineering, marine engineering and survey mapping in the United States.

  Engineering graduates, apart from going into the technical profession, could move on to the management level, she said.

  'A lot of engineers take up MBA programmes or management work. The basic degree is important in training students' analytical power.'   She said although women were lagging behind in the field of engineering, the future would see increased involvement from them.

  'There is a change in social norms and a growing demand for engineers. Women are moving away from the fields of education, humanities and arts into science and technology.'   However, Mei-ling said even some teachers were biased.

  'They think boys do better and often assign a boy to each group to 'help out' the girls in class projects,' she said.



More girls opt for engineering