Cyprus hosts key role in EU effort for gender equality in ICT studies
The Cyprus Institute of Neurology & Genetics (CING) is coordinating a new European Erasmus+ project aimed at promoting gender equality in studies and careers related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).
The initiative, titled “pICTureURpath – Promoting gender equality in ICT studies and careers”, is co-funded by the European Union under the ERASMUS-EDU-2024-POL-EXP programme, in the Policy Experimentation category.
The project has a total budget of €979,281.01, with CING receiving €361,479.38 in funding.
It began on April 1, 2025, and will run for three years, involving six partners from Cyprus (CING and Be an Ally Foundation), Greece (Challedu and the Directorate of Secondary Education of Western Thessaloniki), Italy (Quality Culture) and the Netherlands (University of Groningen).
The project’s core objective is to identify the main factors influencing girls’ aspirations to study or pursue careers in ICT across Europe.
Based on these findings, an educational framework will be designed for teachers and a pilot intervention will be implemented in schools and other educational settings.
The ultimate aim is to submit evidence-based policy proposals with a strong potential to increase girls’ participation in ICT-related studies and professions.
The project is coordinated by Dr Margarita Zachariou, Associate Scientist at CING’s Bioinformatics Department, with the involvement of department members and the Institute’s Education Office.
Bioinformatics, she noted, demonstrates the crucial role of digital skills in modern research and innovation.
The contribution of computer science and data analysis leads to important discoveries in biology and health, highlighting the need to strengthen women’s participation in ICT to fully utilise their talent and inspire more girls to follow similar career paths.
“Promoting gender equality in ICT is of vital importance, as women remain underrepresented in studies and careers in the field,” said Dr Zachariou.
She added “Through pICTureURpath we aim to identify and highlight the factors influencing girls’ study and career choices and to formulate evidence-based policy proposals that will substantially contribute to strengthening their presence in these fields.”
“The participation of CING as Coordinator is both an honour and a responsibility, giving us the opportunity to actively contribute to the promotion of an equal and innovative society,” she concluded.
The project’s kick-off meeting took place in Athens on June 26–27, 2025, with the participation of all partners and collaborators.
During the meeting, partners defined clear roles and expectations for achieving the project’s objectives and established the foundations for effective communication.
An international online event titled “From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Empowering Girls in ICT” will be held on September 25, 2025, at 15:00.
This event will explore ways to encourage more girls to pursue studies and careers in ICT.
Speakers from education, technology and policy sectors will share experiences, best practices and solutions to remove barriers and create new opportunities for the next generation in the digital world.
Further information about the pICTureURpath project and the open event invitation can be found at https://pictureurpath.eu/ or by contacting project manager Ms Katerina Michael at katerinam@cing.ac.cy