APEC 2025 Women in STEM Symposium Successfully Held in Korea, Highlighting Women’s Role in Sustainable AI

August 14, 2025

• MSIT and WISET jointly hosted the event in conjunction with the APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting, bringing together more than 400 experts from APEC member economies.

• Professor Meeyoung Cha emphasized, “Human-centered design and women’s leadership are crucial to sustainable AI,” fostering a global consensus on the need to expand women’s participation in AI.

• WISET received the “Organization of Excellence Award” from the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) for its contribution to empowering women in STEM.

Photo: Participants of the symposium pose for a group photo.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Kyung-Hoon Bae, hereinafter “MSIT”) and the Korea Foundation for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (President Aree Moon, hereinafter “WISET”) announced that it hosted the “APEC 2025 Women in STEM Symposium” on Wednesday, August 13, at Songdo Convensia in Incheon.

The event was convened as part of the 3rd APEC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) under the theme “Empowering Women in AI for a Sustainable Future.”

The symposium aimed to promote women’s participation and leadership in the sustainable development of AI technologies and to build practical cooperation frameworks among APEC member economies. The program consisted of the Girls in STEM Workshop, the APEC 2025 Women in STEM Symposium, and a networking session featuring the sharing of best practices by APEC Young AI Leaders. More than 400 participants, including global AI experts and stakeholders from industry, academia, and research, attended the symposium, among them YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri, Minister of Women, Family and Community Development of Malaysia, and Jeff Robinson, Ambassador of Australia to Korea.

Girls in STEM Workshop

At the Girls in STEM Workshop held prior to the symposium, HRH Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, President of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), shared her experience leading the establishment of the “International Day of Women and Girls in Science” and emphasized the importance of expanding women’s participation in the global STEM fields. 

Hye-Won Lim, President of the Korean Federation of Women’s Science and Technology Associations, offered career guidance for the next generation of women scientists and engineers. Joyann Boyce, CEO of Included AI, presented approaches to developing inclusive and responsible AI technologies. 

In addition, Kyung-Eon Kim, a student at the Korea Science Academy of KAIST, shared her experiences pursuing a STEM career under the theme “Beyond the Label,” which resonated strongly with the audience.

Photo: Aree Moon, President of WISET, delivers the opening remarks.

APEC 2025 Women in STEM Symposium

In her opening remarks, Aree Moon, President of WISET and the symposium’s host, stated, “As AI is transforming society across the board, the active participation of women and global cooperation are essential. We will do our utmost to ensure that this symposium becomes a foundation for Korea to lead a sustainable and inclusive AI era.”

Photo: Professor Meeyoung Cha of KAIST, keynote speaker of the symposium, delivers her lecture.

Three world-renowned AI experts delivered keynote speeches. They presented strategies for advancing sustainable AI and highlighted the importance of women’s leadership. 

Professor Meeyoung Cha of KAIST, also Director at the Max Planck Institute, delivered a keynote titled “AI for Good: A Journey of Leadership, Innovation, and Social Responsibility.” She emphasized, “AI is a powerful tool for solving social problems and informing policy-making. Human-centered design and women’s leadership are the keys to sustainable AI.”

Asha Saxena, CEO of World Leaders in Data and AI and Professor at Columbia University, presented “AI Innovation and Women's Leadership: Designing a Future that Works for Everyone.” She noted, “The future of AI depends on who designs it, and it requires the active participation of talented individuals from diverse backgrounds, including women.”

Hazami Habib, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI), delivered a keynote titled “Empowering Women in AI: Strategies for Regional Collaboration in the Post-Normal Era.” She stressed, “Empowering women is not merely an equity issue but a strategic imperative for building a sustainable AI ecosystem,” and proposed stronger cooperation among APEC economies.

The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Soonmin Bae, AI Future Lab Director & Chief Responsible AI Officer (CRAIO), KT

Aree Moon, President of WISET, presented on “Women, AI, and the Future of Scientific Leadership: From Inclusion to Innovation in the APEC Region” Francis Syms, Associate Dean of ICT at Humber College in Canada, presented on “Empowering Women in AI: Policy, Collaboration and Impact.”

The discussion featured Lisa Harvey-Smith (Professor at the University of New South Wales and former Australian Government Women in STEM Ambassador), Supiya Charoensiriwath (Principal Researcher at Thailand’s National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, NSTDA), Mei May Soo (Global Head of AI Solutions at Dell Technologies), and Juan Ignacio Stark (Head of AI Consulting at the Chile National Center for Artificial Intelligence).

The panelists shared the view that expanding women’s participation in AI is directly linked to the sustainability of technology, and proposed concrete international cooperation initiatives to strengthen women’s networks and capabilities in AI.

Networking Session: Sharing Best Practices of APEC Young AI Leaders

The final networking session brought together policymakers from APEC member economies, as well as representatives from companies and research institutions, to explore opportunities for joint research and technological cooperation in AI and STEM fields. 

In particular, it provided a platform for exchanges between Korea’s next-generation AI talents and APEC Young AI Leaders, thereby strengthening the foundation for a global network.

At the pre-symposium luncheon, First Vice Minister of Science and ICT Hyuk-Chae Koo remarked, “Fostering female talent in STEM is a core strategy to address the challenges of population decline caused by low birth rates and aging demographics, and it will greatly contribute to the sustainable growth pursued by APEC.” He further emphasized, “Women’s participation in AI will lay the cornerstone for building a responsible and inclusive AI ecosystem.”

Photo: Aree Moon, President of WISET (second from right), with HRH Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite, President of the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT, second from left), holding the trophy commemorating WISET’s recognition as an Organization of Excellence.

Meanwhile, WISET was recognized by RASIT as an “Organization of Excellence” for its contributions to empowering women and girls in STEM, advancing policy-making, implementing educational programs, and promoting international cooperation.

Visit the official symposium website: https://www.apwss2025.org/