Sharing research, experience, and policy-relevant insights on gender inequality
Bringing together leading international researchers, students, and academics to examine gender inequality through an evidence-based and interdisciplinary lens.
Following a grant from the Gender Equality Partnerships 2024–25 project, funded by the British Council, the Behavioural Economics Research Group from the University of Sheffield and Ho Chi Minh University of Banking organised a series of events aiming to create an international platform focused on sharing research, experience, and policy-relevant insights on gender inequality.
The Economics of Gender workshop (University of Sheffield) and Female Leaders in Higher Education in Vietnam and Female Empowerment and Equality workshops (Ho Chi Minh University of Banking) brought together leading international researchers, students, and academics to examine gender inequality through an evidence-based and interdisciplinary lens.
Dr Kim Nguyen, Lecturer in Economics from the School of Economics and organisers of the events said:
“By centring the workshops on gender economics and equality, the group aimed to raise awareness, foster high-quality academic and policy-oriented dialogue, strengthen international research networks, and build momentum for future collaborative research.”
“Discussion at these events focused on women’s career trajectories and leadership, structural and cultural barriers, and the role of social norms across different contexts.”
The workshops featured two keynote speakers. Professor Christiane Schwieren (Heidelberg University), an expert in gender economics, presented research on female underconfidence and the development of female networks in STEM, spanning initiatives in Heidelberg, Kyoto, Santiago de Chile, and New Delhi, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations among experimental economists, social scientists, and STEM professionals in both industry and academia. Professor Angela Sutan (ESSEC Business School) also delivered a keynote focusing on diversity training, social norms, stereotypes, and their impact on recruitment practices.
In addition, other presentations showcased cutting-edge research on gendered labour markets, migration, social norms, and ethnic bias in developed countries such as the UK and Finland, as well as in developing countries, including Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
The key outcomes from the events included an enhanced critical understanding of gender inequality, improved research capacity and professional development for participants, including staff and PhD students, and the establishment of sustained cross-institutional and international collaborations in this field.
Kim Nguyen continues and says: “Interdisciplinary relationships should be actively supported because gender inequality is a complex, structural issue that cannot be fully understood within a single discipline. By connecting perspectives from economics, the social sciences, and STEM disciplines, these collaborations enable richer, more innovative research questions and methods. Supporting such relationships creates the conditions for genuinely collaborative research that can identify intersecting inequalities and generate solutions with real-world impact.”