AURAK Promotes Women’s Opportunities in STEM Education with AGYA Workshop

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in association with the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA), has today launched the ‘Women in STEM Education and Career Pathways’ conference.

The international conference specifically focuses on boosting opportunities and awareness for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Over the course of the two days prominent women within the fields of science, technology and engineering, delivered lectures on their own personal experiences and how the situation could potentially be improved.

Reflecting on the importance of such initiatives, particularly within the Middle East and North Africa region, Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, AURAK president, stated, “As a university, I feel that we have a duty to actively promote progressive values and attitudes. Through the power of education we are obligated to encourage equal opportunities for women, both within education and the sphere of work.”

In the keynote session, ‘Women in Engineering and Higher Education’, dean of the AURAK School of Engineering, Professor Mousa Mohsen, gave a speech examining the reasons as to why women in general, and particularly those living in the Arab region, have their opportunities restricted due to numerous sociocultural factors which need to be urgently addressed. Another keynote speaker, Dr. Felizitas Sagebiel from the University of Wuppertal in Germany, tackled the issue of gender stereotypes and their harmful effects on society.

Subsequent sessions, all aimed at the empowerment of women, took place throughout Sunday and Monday, included ‘Women and Careers in Research’, ‘Shortage of Females in STEM’, ‘Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurial Skills’ and ‘Best Practices for Attracting Women to Careers in Engineering in the Arab States and Germany’. These discussions and talks were led by a number of empowered women from institutions across the UAE, Germany, Morocco and Jordan.

This initiative is the latest collaboration between AURAK and its German partners. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research sponsored the event, while AURAK’s Dr. Ahmad Sakhrieh is also the co-president of AGYA.