Abu Dhabi: A Masdar PhD student, who was awarded the L’Oreal Unesco for Women in Science prize last month, believes her international recognition shows that women, Arabs in particular, are more than capable of contributing in the fields of science and engineering.
Nazek Al Atab from Lebanon was among 15 young women who were awarded the international prize, which recognises the achievements of women in the field of science. Each winner is given a grant of €15,000 to help them continue their research projects. Al Atab’s research is focused on using nano-materials to create low-powered memory devices that will reduce energy consumption in the devices that use them.
“I was very happy and honoured when I found out that I was going to receive this prestigious award. It is very satisfying to know that all my hard work and research was being recognised and appreciated,” Al Atab said.
She added that receiving the award also sent a powerful message on the role of women in society.
“I believe it’s very good for Arab women to be represented on such international platforms. This kind of an award sheds light on the achievement of women in this region, and that can help increase the intellectual awareness that women are capable of working and getting success in the area of science.”
Al Atab said the award will motivate other women to pursue careers in science and engineering.
“A lot of women are passionate about science and engineering, but they may end up pursuing a different career believing that they are not capable of working in such fields,” she said. “When they see women achieving success in these fields, they can then say ‘why not, maybe I can do the same thing’.”
Al Atab termed the UAE as a positive example of an Arab country that saw the need of having women engaged in the development and progress of society.
“At Masdar Institute, 49 per cent of our students are female, so this shows that the level of intellectual awareness [on having women involved] is very high at Masdar, and this is important for the Arab world. The UAE and institutions like Masdar Institute help break down stereotypes of [Arab] women. At Masdar Institute, you don’t feel any difference between a male or female student, we are all working together for the betterment of society,” she added.
