Manama: Young Qatari women are being encouraged to contribute to research efforts in computer science and related fields, a Doha-based university has said.
"At Carnegie Mellon, we are working very hard to bring more women into computer science and information systems," said Ilker Baybars, Dean of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar.
Over the weekend, female high school students and undergraduates from universities and high schools in Qatar gathered at Carnegie Mellon for the ‘Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Computer Science'(OurCS) Qatar 2012 conference," the university said.
The participants learned about the important role women can play in developing Qatar's knowledge-based economy by contributing to research efforts in computer science and related fields.
The programme featured prominent female computer scientists, including keynote speaker Sihem Amer-Yahia, principal research scientist at Qatar Computing Research Institute and former senior scientist at Yahoo! Research.
The conference encouraged women to enter the fields related to computer science, and highlighted the opportunities, excitement, and impact they can have by participating in computer science research, a statement from the university said.
"Women are obviously an important part of society, capable of contributing significantly to research efforts," said Bernardine Dias, Associate Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and OurCS Qatar organiser. "A diverse workforce across all sectors will be integral for Qatar to become a knowledge-based economy."
According to the university, 52 per cent of its 335 undergraduates are young women. "With Qataris comprising approximately 40 per cent of the recent incoming class, the university is well positioned to help Qatar's female population nurture their interests in science and technology," it said.
