From ADA to AI: NTNU Wins 2025 Minerva Informatics Equality Award for Over 30 Years of Impact
For the 10th consecutive year, Informatics Europe presents the Minerva Informatics Equality Award, celebrating outstanding European initiatives that advance gender equality in Informatics.
This year’s Award goes to the Department of Computer Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) for its long-standing and transformative commitment to empowering women in Informatics.
Over three decades, NTNU has built a comprehensive ecosystem of initiatives supporting women in Informatics — from ADA, a recruitment and retention programme for female Informatics students, and Kodeløypa, which introduces school children to programming, to IDUN, a mentoring programme promoting gender balance in academia. European collaborations such as COST Action EUGAIN and Erasmus+ projects WomenStepUP and TECHLARP have further extended this impact, blending inclusion, mentorship, and creative approaches to attract and retain more women in the field.
Prof. Letizia Jaccheri, who accepted the Award on behalf of the department, said, “This award honours the collective work of our department and partners over many years. In the future, we aim to shape AI as a force for inclusion, ethics, and creative collaboration. We’ll dedicate the full prize received from the Minerva Award to support this mission, including the establishment of an NGO focused on AI and inclusion.”
The honorary runner-up, Tallinn University of Technology’s Diversifying IT initiative, was recognised for its innovative and tech-driven efforts to encourage women’s participation and advancement in Informatics. The initiative combines large-scale reskilling, role-modelling through personal stories and podcasts, and the AI-based IT Pathway Finder chatbot, which helps guide diverse learners into Informatics studies and careers.
Award Committee member Dr Oana Andrei (University of Glasgow) congratulated both institutions, “We were deeply impressed by the scale and maturity of NTNU’s submission, reflecting a sustained and impactful commitment to gender equality in Informatics. We also warmly commend TalTech’s dynamic and AI-powered approach, which inspires women across all stages of their Informatics journey.”
The Award ceremony, held during the ECSS 2025 Gala Dinner in Rennes, France, also featured the launch of Informatics Europe’s latest publication: “Minerva Informatics Equality Award Catalogue — Celebrating a Decade of Gender Equality in Informatics Research and Education: Best Practices in Europe”, presented by Prof. Simona Motogna (Babeş-Bolyai University), Chair of IE’s Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.
The Catalogue compiles a decade of best practices submitted to the Minerva Award, classifying and analysing actions that support women in Informatics at all career stages. It offers searchable examples, tags, and impact indicators to inspire institutions and individuals committed to fostering diversity, inclusion, and sustainable change in academia and the field.
About the Award
The Minerva Informatics Equality Award includes a €5,000 prize to further promote gender equality in Informatics. More about the Award and all best practices submitted to the Award can be found on the website at https://www.informatics-europe.org/society/minerva-informatics-equality-award.html.
About Informatics Europe
Informatics Europe represents the academic and research community in Informatics (or computer science) in Europe. Bringing together nearly 200 university departments, research laboratories, and industry partners, Informatics Europe connects over 50,000 Informatics researchers in more than 30 countries. The association promotes shared priorities in education, research, knowledge transfer, and the societal impact of Informatics. Join us to increase our weight in change-making decisions at the European level.