After ending 2019 with a bang, BEaMS reached new heights in their events – from hosting a joint games night with BEMA to holding a networking dinner with the Careers Network! Their Outreach Officer Gloria tells us more.
We teamed-up with BEMA, a society for students from all ethnic minority groups, to host a games night social for all our members! The students engaged in fun activities from Twister to Genga, to a massive series of group card games; this event gave our attendees a chance to meet like-minded students, mingle with other society members and take some of the edge off the start of spring term. We are proud of our partnership with BEMA and look forward to further integrating our members through future activities.
Diversity and inclusion are fundamental parts of our society, so we were ecstatic when the opportunity arose for us to work with WISE and oSTEM – these are both pivotal societies and organisations committed to increasing diversification in STEM. The ‘Equal in STEM’ conference was the first of its kind to touch on important issues for STEM students, professionals and graduates through holding four panel discussions. The discussions were on the following topics: Expectations of a role model in STEM, How to be a good advocate and ally, Improving mental health awareness in STEM, and Parenthood in STEM, in which our President Mira was the chair. The panel sessions were followed by networking with various prominent advocates from different backgrounds. We would like to thank WISE for giving us the great opportunity to collaborate with them for this event. We look forward to supporting and potentially collaborating with WISE and oSTEM in future events!
To end the Spring Term on a high, we hosted our annual networking dinner with guest professionals from reputable engineering companies Jacobs and WSP. Having built a great connection with the Careers Network following last term’s psychometric test workshop, Richard Newman and his colleagues kindly offered to conduct a mock assessment centre during this event. Our guests Daniel Omatsola-Morgan, Johnathon Choi, Aoife Yap-Walsh and Amzad Hussain assessed our students as they engaged in a typical assessment centre activity, and delivered helpful feedback to them. Additionally, a chit-chat over a Nigerian meal allowed our members to network with graduates from similar backgrounds to their own, and ask any burning questions about their professional experiences in fields they aspire to enter. We feel honoured to have worked with the Careers Network and all the professionals who attended the dinner and further building our relationship with you all.
After successfully holding and participating in a plethora of events, it is safe to say that BEaMS has had a fantastic autumn and spring term this academic year. We’re grateful to be maturing as a society and meeting our new members each term! Along with new faces comes new opportunities and room for development as we aim to cater to all our members, their cultures, and their various religions and beliefs. We at BEaMS are committed to helping dismantle any prominent barriers raised by our members that inhibit their progress throughout university and beyond.
We hope that all your families and loved ones are safe and well, and look forward to meeting you all again in the next academic year!
Find us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get involved or work with us.
Gloria Nkuliza
BEaMS Outreach Officer 2019/20
To find out more about BEaMS visit their website www.birmingham.ac.uk/eps/beams.
There are 39 student groups in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences. To learn more about their projects and activities head to www.birmingham.ac.uk/eps-societies.