Oxford Brookes inspires future female engineers with motorsport masterclass for schools

Oxford Brookes University opened its doors to schools this week for a special event celebrating International Women in Engineering Day.

The day was designed to spark curiosity and build confidence and to show school-aged girls that a career in motorsport is within their reach.

Headlining the event was Karen Gaillard, one of Switzerland’s rising racing talents. Representing the Iron Dames Motor Racing Team, Karen shared her journey and offered advice to students from schools including Headington Rye and Cheney in Oxford and Chilton Primary in Oxfordshire.

Karen’s path to the top has been rapid. Since joining Iron Dames in 2024, she made her GT3 debut in the Michelin Le Mans Cup and became the first woman to win the Porsche Junior France Shootout.

"I’m really happy to be here," said Karen. "I want to show these girls that they can do whatever they want in life. They should believe in themselves and follow their dreams, even if people say they can't because they are women."

As well as talks from professionals, including engineers from the Mercedes Petronas F1 racing team, the day involved hands-on engineering sessions. Pupils formed teams to build and test ‘rocket cars’. They took part in a contest to design the most aerodynamic vehicle possible, power it with a bike pump, and race to see which one was the fastest.

"It’s a really fun day. We get to build cars and do experiments," said 14-year-old Annika from Headington Rye School. Her classmate, 13-year-old Cheukyiu, added: "I enjoyed looking at different stations in the building and handling components from cars they have built before."

Professor Gordana Collier, Head of the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics at Oxford Brookes said: "The motorsport industry is still very male-dominated, and we want to change that. We want to see more girls joining us. Today, we had a fantastic panel of inspiring women, and I hope the girls feel empowered to go out and follow their dreams. That’s our vision."

Find out more about Oxford Brookes’ Mechanical Engineering and Motorsport courses on the University website.