Leading women scientists, academics, industry researchers are set to descend upon Abu Dhabi to take part in a unique conference specifically created to build new partnerships and foster greater research collaboration amongst women in the fields of science and engineering across the U.S. and MENA region.

Co-hosted by the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s College of Engineering and Computer Science and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, and supported by the U.S. Department of State, National Science Foundation (NSF) , Abu Dhabi Education Council and Dow Chemical, the inaugural conference will be held in the Rotana Hotel, Yas Island, 2nd – 4th May.

On behalf of co-host’s Masdar Institute, Dr John Perkins, Provost of Masdar Institute of Science and Technology said:

“Abu Dhabi and Masdar Institute look forward to welcoming some of the foremost experts in the fields of science and engineering and contributing further to an open-platform of international collaboration. The importance of this conference and the wider principle of supporting women in the pursuit world-class research to help tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges cannot be overstated.”

“The opportunity to strengthen existing relationships and establish new partnerships both with the U.S. and across the region is of great significance and must be grasped by aspiring academics and researchers.”

150 delegates are expected to attend the international gathering of experts, drawn from as far afield as Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine, with a significant number travelling from leading U.S. and European institutions and organizations to participate and share best practice experiences. With free online registration a limited number of places are still available for female delegates with advanced degrees in maths, engineering and scientific fields across the MENA region.

Amongst those providing their support and set to attend are prominent figures such as: Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi, UAE’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Her Excellency Dr. Amal Al-Qubaisi, Member of the Federal National Council, Ms. Mary Oakes Smith, President of the Iraqi Women’s Fellowship Foundation, and Ms. Susan Finston, President of Finston Consulting and Founder of BayhDole25.

The conference was inspired as a follow-up to the highly successful ‘Professional Mentoring of Women in Science and Engineering Program’, in which 19 Arab women from 12 MENA countries completed 8 week fellowships at the University of Michigan-Dearborn in the spring 2009. The program, led by Dr. Amal Al Ghaferi, who was recently appointed as the first female UAE national member of faculty at Masdar Institute provided unrivalled research experience and professional mentoring as well as establishing a sustainable network between women and their university and industry mentors.

By expanding the opportunity to greater numbers of women with common research interests, the ‘Women in Science Conference’ has huge potential to create further mutually beneficial relationships between females in the U.S. and MENA region , as Ms. Barbara Peitsch, Program Manager at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, explained;

“The initial mentoring program was so well received by the selected participants it was clear there was a need to offer more support to women in science and engineering disciplines within their respective countries. Building upon the momentum gained, ‘The Women in Science and Engineering Workshop’ provides the opportunity to share information, experiences, and research opportunities around particular technical disciplines or a pressing issue in the region.”

“The mentoring program and this workshop have contributed a great deal to our campus and the local Arab-American community in Dearborn, Dr. Subrata Sengupta, Dean of UM-Dearborn’s College of Engineering and Computer Science remarked, “Our ultimate goal is to provide the foundation for long-term technical collaboration and joint research between U.S. researchers with women from the MENA region.”

The conference will be conducted as an interactive two-day workshop entitled ‘Association Building and International Research Collaboration for MENA Women in Science and Engineering’, with keynote speakers and panelists drawn from industry, academia and consultancies to represent a full range of expertise.

To date amongst the speakers and panelists confirmed include; Dr Marwan Khraisheh, Dean, Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Dr. Jamie Saville, Assistant Director, WISE, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ms. Jumana Judeh President, Arab American Women’s Business Council, and Dr. Omnia El-Hakim Program Director for Diversity and Outreach, NSF.
 

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