The College Board is exploring the possibility of offering new advanced placement (AP) courses in STEM-related subjects, according to the nonprofit's president, former West Virginia Gov. Gaston Caperton. At U.S. News's Making Science Cool event last Tuesday, he said the organization was "exploring the potential of more AP courses in engineering, energy, environment, and anatomy." Don't look for the new subjects anytime soon. Development of a new AP course can take up to six years as teachers and professors develop class curricula and the AP exam before smaller groups pilot the new course, according to Trevor Packer, senior vice president of AP and college readiness for the College Board.

From 10 to 14 October, European Commission officials will participate in events organised in France, Romania, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Latvia in order to present to stakeholders and the public the Digital Agenda for Europe. These events will focus on the Digital Single Market, Research and Innovation, ICT for Society, the Global Cities' Dialogue, Broadband, digital inclusion, Digital Agenda and the youth, eGovernment, eHealth. The visits are part of the Going Local exercise, run by the European Commission for the second year in a row, in order to foster a public dialogue on the Digital Agenda goals.

The international conference Millennia2015, "An action plan for women's empowerment" will be organized to present the results of the foresight exercise started in 2008.

Research and innovation are at the heart of the Europe 2020 agenda which aims to get Europe out of its current economic difficulties, and transform it into a smart, sustainable and inclusive society. For the first time, the Treaty empowered the European Union to achieve the European Research Area (ERA). Progress in ERA is slow towards achieving gender balance and integrating gender dimension in research content. The Questionnaire (Question 9.14) seeks for your opinion on how EU policy on gender in research could be made more effective.

Recruitment agencies in Scotland believe that a lack of women working in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) industries are having a detrimental effect on the country's economy.

The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology announced today it has opened nominations for the seventh Women of Vision Awards. The Women of Vision Awards honor women making significant contributions to technology in three categories: Innovation, Leadership, and Social Impact. Nominees may be submitted by high-tech companies, universities, private industry, and the general public. Nominations will be accepted at http://anitaborg.org/initiatives/women-of-vision until December 12, 2011.

Each month Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology asks Senior Technical Women to share their stories and what they have learned. This issue’s Senior Technical Woman Profile features Jane Moran, Global CIO, Thomson Reuters.

BBC Future Media is holding an event aimed at women with skills and experience within digital and technology areas. It will be a fantastic chance for you to get an insight into what they do and talk to the people who make things happen.

Young girls in UK who have received their GCSE results have been urged to study IT-related subjects at A-level in order to take advantage of their hard work and gifted talents. FDM Group, which encourages more women to study and work in IT, has stressed that as more than a quarter of female GCSE pupils were awarded an A or A* this year, the UK's technology industry could really use their talents.

The TUC has voiced its concern over the impact that future public sector cuts will have on female workers. Statistics from the union show that the proportion of women employed in the public sector has risen at three times the rate of men over the last ten years. However, there has also been a poor rate of public sector jobs growth, leading to fears that female unemployment is set to rise.