Starting as a call in 2019, where the associated ELLIIT universities could apply for project funding, the call soon expanded to the ELLIIT Gender and Diversity Group with responsible researchers at each university.
An increased focus has been placed over the last years on the integration of gender aspects into all levels of decision-making and into the visibility profile of ELLIIT.
Specifically, this entails the use of role models to motivate young researchers from underrepresented gender both in research and in basic education. It also implies review, auditing and refinement of decision processes, at all levels of ELLIIT, in order to enforce and following up the awareness of gender-related issues among everyone involved.
Focus groups for gender equality actions
Promoting gender equality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) requires a multi-pronged approach involving institutions, researchers, educators and students.

Initiatives within the ELLIIT Gender and Diversity Group
Here we list newly formed, ongoing, and completed initiatives and projects. Click on the arrow to find out more.
New Initiatives - Start 2025
AI Code Quest for Girls
Interactive coding workshop for girls aged 14-15.
PI: Usman Nair (BTH).
Gender Equality in Game Development
Seminar series consisting of four hybrid guest lectures on gender equality issues in game development.
PI: Veronica Sundstedt (BTH).
Gender and/or Diversity Bias Awareness
Seminars and workshop for PhD students and advisors to create awareness of gender and/or diversity biases.
PI: Emma Börjesson (HH).
Exploring the human norm in design
Support for arrangement of a workshop at a conference: ”Exploring the human norm in design: Integrating more-than-human and norm-critical design approaches”.
PI: Katerina Cerna (HH).
Underrepresented Gender & Science Theory
Miniseries of seminars on (i) underrepresented gender, (ii) science theory and methods, by Professor Margaret-Anne Storey.
PI: Per Runesson (LU).
Ongoing Initiatives - Start 2024
Attending/organizing events for women in mathematics
PI: Anitha Thillaisundaram (LU).
Attracting Underrepresented Groups to Electronics and Integrated Circuits Design
PI: Oscar Gustafsson (LiU).
Blekingflickan Code Club
PI: Usman Nasir (BTH).
Funding for visiting researcher
PIs: Ericka Johnson (LiU), India Morrison (LiU), Tom Ziemke (LiU).
Gender & Diversity in Information Theory
PI: Onur Günlü (LiU).
Matematiksamarbete med skola i glesbygd
PIs: Sara Maad Sasane (LU), Charlotta Johnsson (LU).
Melody Coders: Phase I (school outreach)
PI: Carlos Nascimento Silla Junior (HH).
PhD student (woman) research stay at University of Michigan
PI: Ilayda Yaman (LU).
Postdoc (woman) research stay in Montreal and Toronto
PI: Tom Ziemke (LiU).
The future of control engineering – a female perspective
PIs: Margret Bauer (LU), Charlotta Johnsson (LU), Eva Westin (LU).
Travel Support Application for IEEE ICRA 2025
PI: Thu Ngo (HH).
Contact and Representatives
The group’s official email address is: GenDiv-ELLIIT@groups.liu.se
Lund University (LU)
Charlotta Johnsson, AC (convenor)
Kaan Bür, EIT
Linköping University (LiU)
Tom Ziemke, IDA
Blekinge Insitute of Technology (BTH)
Nauman Ali
Halmstad University (HH)
Marlena Nowaczyk