Sharjah24: American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated International Women in Engineering Day by highlighting the achievements and contributions of women in the many engineering disciplines to inspire the next generation of women to join the field.
Organised by the College of Engineering (CEN) in collaboration with the Women in Engineering Committee (WiE), the event brought together more than 100 engineering students, in addition to CEN faculty and alumni. The WiE Committee was launched in Spring 2022 to raise the profile of women in engineering, and share and celebrate their great achievements through regular posts on www.aus.edu/cen/women-in-engineering.
CEN female faculty members and lab instructors gave inspirational presentations during the event, followed by a celebration of the achievements of women undergraduate and graduate students and alumni who have won awards and published their research.
During the event, Dr. Vian Ahmed, Professor in Industrial Engineering and event organizer, reflected on the history of women in engineering and the limited opportunities they had to access education and engage in STEM disciplines in the past.
“By the end of the 19th century, more opportunities opened up for women pioneers in the field. Today, the UAE has become a leading example for giving women equal opportunities to enter the discipline, not only through its National Space Program, climate change initiatives and support of women entrepreneurs, but also by putting women in key and strategic positions. CEN, under the leadership of its dean Dr. Fadi Aloul, prides itself on the role it has played in nurturing its alumni, who have gone out and made valuable contributions to society and in engineering,” she said.
Dr. Ahmed noted that while there is an abundance of opportunities in engineering and despite the rise in the number of women entering the main disciplines of engineering, a small percentage of women choose to pursue a career in engineering.
“This is a global issue and more needs to be done to encourage and support women's participation, progression and retention within the engineering discipline so we can truly achieve a balanced and productive work environment. Research has shown that organizations that have achieved gender balance in the workplace tend to profit more since diversity brings more talent and creativity to the workplace,” Dr. Ahmed.
She added: “Young women need to see role models in engineering to get inspired. Every undergraduate student is a role model to students who are still in school. Every senior engineering student is a role model for junior students, and every faculty member and instructor is a role model for students. It is through such collective efforts that we can inspire more and more women to join the discipline.”
The event also included a panel discussion chaired by Dr. Ghaleb Husseini, Professor in Chemical Engineering. The session focused on the opportunities and challenges facing women in engineering, while reflecting on the experiences of female students and faculty in STEM.
CEN’s programs offer the highest level of professional and technical preparation, global preparedness and leadership development. The college offers bachelor of science degrees in chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, industrial engineering and mechanical engineering. It also offers 13 minors, nine master’s degrees and one PhD programme.
The college’s highly qualified faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and comprehensive undergraduate and graduate program offerings have made it the premier choice of the region's high school graduates keen to embark on a career in the dynamic field of engineering.
To learn more about what CEN has to offer, visit www.aus.edu/cen.
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