CaixaBank and Microsoft have recognised the best technical degree students in Spain through the WONNOW Awards. Gonzalo Gortázar, Chief Executive Officer of CaixaBank, and Pilar López, President of Microsoft Spain, presented the awards, which include a cash prize of 10,000 euros to the student with the best academic record and 10 paid internships to work for six months at CaixaBank and access to a Microsoft mentoring programme.
The awards were presented in a ceremony held virtually and conducted by Anunciación López, the Chief Executive Officer of BPS, the publishing group for technological publications.
Through these awards, CaixaBank and Microsoft recognise female excellence in technical university degrees. By doing so, they want to encourage other young women to study STEM courses, by promoting diversity in a sector with enormous employment opportunities and a low female presence.
According to recent data from LinkedIn, more than two million jobs related to technology could be created in the next five years. Currently, the percentage of STEM graduates in Spain is rated 12th in European Union rankings, with a difference between sexes of 17 percentage points.
During the awards ceremony, the Chief Executive Officer of CaixaBank, Gonzalo Gortázar, emphasised that "it is necessary to promote diversity in the academic and corporate world, and support the development of women in key professions in our society in the field of sciences, to make the ongoing digital transformation more inclusive." Gortázar also stated that "promoting technical courses and the development of professionals in the world of work also means that we are clearly fulfilling our commitment and our responsibility to society."
The President of Microsoft Spain, Pilar López, said that "digitalisation is driving the economy, represents a massive opportunity and means that STEM training should be a priority and where there is no place for gender bias. It’s necessary to foster technological and scientific vocations from childhood, to reaffirm them among young women, with successful female role models and by working for equality in the workplace."
In the three editions held so far, more than 1,000 university students have entered from all over Spain, which shows that the WONNOW Awards have become established as prestigious awards in the university sector.
The best 11 female STEM university students in Spain
In this third edition, a total of 348 students from 61 Spanish universities participated; students in their final years of STEM -Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics- degree courses. The academic records, curriculums and personal achievements of participants were assessed to choose the winners.
