During her time at HKU, Chhavi Sharma has received a plethora of opportunities to seek something new. She was attracted to HKU’s variety of scholarships offered throughout the year, their enthusiasm to provide as much hands-on experience as possible, and their emphasis on research and development. “I knew this institution is capable of providing a unique experience to every student tailored exactly to their needs. If you’re looking for a place to expand your horizons, HKU is for you.” She ended up pursuing a minor in Cognitive Science in addition to her Computer Science major, stating “the intersection of the two courses really got me inclined towards the field of Human-Computer Interaction - something I wouldn't have discovered if it wasn’t for HKU’s flexible course structure.” Throughout her years at HKU, thoroughly enjoying being a woman studying in STEM related courses, the gender disparity in the STEM field could not be ignored.
“Although our society is progressing day by day, the mentality that STEM related subjects are more suitable for males still persists.” According to a “women in tech” research, only 17% of women completed a STEM related degree in 2018, with only 22% pursuing a postgraduate study in the subject. After chatting with a fellow HKU student, and coming to the conclusion that complaining makes no difference, Chhavi realised it was time to seek change. This is when they co-founded “Change the Code HKU”.
Change the Code HKU is an organisation that encourages young girls to take up STEM related subjects by hosting engaging workshops for them. Chhavi and her team received utmost support from the Faculty of Engineering, the Centre of Development and Resources, and fellow students. They then realised it would be unfair to limit this programme to just HKU, and began recruiting team members from across the globe, including India and Bangladesh, and now also have a chapter at the City University of Hong Kong.
During the pandemic, they shifted their operation to online workshops, which proved extremely successful, and were able to cater to a much wider audience. They have been able to impact over 100 women, of ages ranging from 14 to 40, introducing them to Python Programming - a high-level, general-purpose programming language.
Chhavi has achieved a great deal during her time at HKU, and has been offered three scholarships throughout her studies. This has allowed her to travel all over the world to pursue new outlooks. From Scotland, and Ireland to Myanmar, these experiences have helped her add new dimensions to her personality and meet a variety of new people. Chhavi knows exactly where her interests lie, and continues to thrive in her studies as well as making an extremely profound impact at HKU.
