July 17, 2023 - The Asia Foundation signed an MOU with WISET on July 13, 2023, to promote women’s empowerment in STEM in Asia. Both organizations have cooperated for several events for the past three years, including the 2022 Expert Group Meeting hosted by WISET and the U.S.-Korea-Japan Trilateral Summit on Women’s Leadership in STEM in 2020, organized by The Asia Foundation. Through the MOU, both organizations will cooperate to enhance female students and the workforce’s capacity and self-efficacy in the STEM field in Asia and stimulate a socially and educationally supporting environment for them.

The Asia Foundation’s initiative, STEM ConnectHER, will be the first cooperation after the MOU to strengthen women’s networking and mentorship in STEM in Asia. The initiative initially connected women in STEM in Japan, the Philippines, Singapore, Cambodia, and Malaysia. Through the cooperation, the initiative will be expanded in Korea for the latter half of the year, and Korean women in STEM will have an opportunity to be connected with domestic and international professionals in the field and have their advice on their study, career, and difficulties through mentoring sessions and speaking series.