The recently launched Indigenous and Black Engineering Technology (IBET) PhD Project will provide funding to support Indigenous and Black students pursuing doctoral degrees in engineering at six Ontario universities.
Led by Waterloo Engineering, the initiative aims to change the academic landscape by increasing the number of Indigenous and Black engineering professors teaching and researching in universities across Canada.
Tizazu Mekonnen, the inaugural director of the IBET PhD Project, says there are currently as few as 15 Indigenous and Black engineering professors in Canada.
“That’s not right and it’s not reflective of Canadian society,” says the Waterloo chemical engineering professor. ”How can we ask our young Indigenous and Black high school students to consider engineering for their education and their careers if they don’t see any professors who look like them or have had similar cultural experiences? It’s time we changed this, so we are.”
Mekonnen says to ensure the success of the initiative it’s critical to have mentors from both industry and across academia to support the doctoral candidates. [Full story]