Our Current Projects at University College of Estate Management

One of the world's most pressing challenges in the built environment sector is gender equality. UCEM is proud to have secured six externally funded research grants from the British Council to explore this critical issue and advocate for meaningful change. As one of the leading universities researching gender equality through externally funded projects, UCEM has received significant support from the British Council, underscoring its commitment to this cause.

Through collaborations with universities across six countries, this initiative has become a global nexus for investigating gender equality in depth. The project spans Brazil, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, targeting the education and industry sectors in these regions.

Research is crucial for addressing many contemporary issues, yet pursuing it without dedicated funding is often challenging or impossible. Therefore, the prestigious and highly competitive grants worth £150,000 from the British Council are instrumental in ensuring the success of these projects. These grants will support a comprehensive approach, including establishing consortiums of critical stakeholders who will investigate, collect, and analyze data from partner countries, publish findings, and build the capacity of relevant individuals. By fostering awareness and driving impactful change, these projects aim to deliver substantial and lasting improvements in gender equality across the targeted regions.

Vietnam

Pakistan

Brazil

CAREER: Cultivating Awareness, Resources, and Equality for Educators in Vietnam, Project value: £24,950 Partnership with Can Tho University, Vietnam

CAREER is a transformative project that transcends borders and seeks to advance gender equality, economic inclusion, and sustainable development, aligning with the SDGs and delivering benefits to partner countries, especially Vietnam. The primary goal of this project is to bolster gender equality in the Vietnamese education system, with a specific emphasis on pre-teachers who will play a pivotal role in shaping the minds of future generations. It responds to the pressing need for inclusive and equitable education by equipping pre-teachers with the knowledge, skills, and awareness necessary to create gender-sensitive classrooms and educational environments. The project addresses the critical problem of persistent gender stereotypes and biases in educational settings, which perpetuate inequalities and hinder the development and empowerment of girls and boys alike.

The project has started in March 2024 and will be finished by April 2025.

Find more Information about the project at: www.career-vn.com

Ensuring a safe transition from higher education to empowerment for women in Pakistan through eliminating violence and creating safe learning spaces; Safe4All, Project value: £24,950 Partnership with (IIUI), Islamabad, Pakistan

Pakistan faces a particular challenge to curb Gendered Based Violence . This threat of violence and harassment, as well as the culture of masculinity, patriarchy and abuse in Pakistan, mean women are afraid to work outside the home. It also extends to their experience in educational institutions, with a report by Plan International finding that an estimated 250 million male and female students are subjected to acts of violence every year in various educational environments. This project, led by Dr Muhammad Qasim Rana will look to increase the provision of education for women and establish secure learning environments, with the goal of facilitating women’s empowerment, fostering inclusivity and disrupting the perpetuation of equality in Pakistan.

The project has started in Jan 2024 and will be finished by Jan 2025.

Find more Information about the project at: www.safe4allpk.com

Challenging prejudicial attitudes and structures for career equality for women graduates in Brazil; Equal-Brazil, Project value: £24,900, Partnership with Universidade Estadual do Maranhão (UEMA), Brazil

Women in Brazil, while more likely to have attained a tertiary qualification, are less likely to be employed than men, according to a sobering report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The belief that completing a degree leads to better opportunities does not hold true for women in Brazil, and while the focus of the Brazilian government has been on providing access to education, support and measures of gender progress have yet to be explored. This project, led by Prof Angela Lee aims to identify the challenges that women graduates face in the transition to employment, understand political, economic, social and cultural boundaries, and develop action plans to mitigate these barriers.

The project has started in Jan 2024 and will be finished by Jan 2025.

Find more Information about the project at: www.equal-brazil.com