L'Oréal-UNESCO 'For Women in Science Pan Arab' regional programme honors eight female scientists from Arab world

This prestigious celebration of science was organized under the auspices of H.E Prof. Dr. Nadia Zakhary the Egyptian Minister of Scientific Research and was attended by key Egyptian figures from the socio-political and science fields as well as Mr. Geoff Skingsley, Executive Vice-President of L'Oréal's Africa-Middle East Zone and Dr. Bechir Lamine, Director of UNESCO Cairo office.

The fellowship programme now in its 3rd Pan-Arab version highlights the crucial role that women play in science, through honoring outstanding female postdoctoral researchers who presented exceptional projects in different science and technology areas. Each fellow receiving a grant of $20,000 is empowered through this initiative to push forward her research efforts in the field of her choice. Since the creation of the international L'Oréal-UNESCO "For Women in Science" Programme in 1998, over 1300 women in over 100 countries have been recognized for their groundbreaking achievements and innovative researches.

In her word to the audience, H.E. Prof. Dr. Nadia Zakhary, the Egyptian Minister of Scientific Research, commended the FWIS programme and said: "What the Arab fellows here have accomplished through their groundbreaking projects, is a real source of motivation to their peers whilst to the female population in the whole Arab region. This programme is a lever for distinguished women scientists who have shown a true dedication to science and advancement of knowledge in this important part of the world. The energy brought by those creative minds can definitely serve as a common platform to promote the bright side of our Arab society and help women be a part of the decision and policy making process in their respective countries."

Initiating the ceremony, Dr. Bechir Lamine, the Director of UNESCO Cairo Office, stated, "In this third version of the Pan Arab celebration of women in science, we cannot but applaud the efforts of women around the Arab World for their dedication to science and strive to advance new solutions in several domains. The UNESCO L'Oreal Fellowship programme is successful because it is one of the few established platforms in the region encouraging women scientists to highlight their work and help them advance their research."

Mr. Geoff Skingsley, Executive Vice-President of L'Oréal's Africa-Middle East Zone, also commented on the awards, "Since 2010, women scientists in the Pan-Arab region have been rewarded by the Arab Fellowships. We stand strong in the pursuit of pushing this legacy forward and in pursuit of rewarding more women who will change tomorrow as we are confident in their ambition and their perseverance. These women have dedicated their lives to finding answers and to unraveling new truths touching our everyday lives without even knowing."

Mr. Sandeep Rai, General Manager of L'OREAL Egypt, noted, "L'Oreal has been always at the forefront of the scientific advancement in the world. Our success story with the Pan Arab FWIS programme is based on the substantial value this fellowship initiative brings to regional female scientists and their countries. We are committed as a leader to bring more growth projects to the Middle East that will advance the R&D activities in this part of the world."

Jury President of the "For Womem In Science Pan Arab" programme, Dr. Nabiel Saleh, presented the board of judges stating that more than 180 applications were received by the Programme as it continues to grow in importance amongst the female scientific community in the Arab World. He added, "The FWIS succeeded in bringing a much needed platform to highlight distinct female works in science, given the programme's compliance to the highest international standards."

• Prof. Dr. Fatma El-Gohary, Professor of Environmental Engineering
• Prof. Dr. Fawzia Mohammed Al Ruwaih, Hydrogeolgist, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Kuwait University-Science College
• Prof. Dr. Hamdy Abdel Aziz Moursy, President of Board of Governors of the UN International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology.
• Prof. Dr. Hanan Issa Malkawi, Vice President for Research & International Relations & Professor of Biology & Biotechnology-Yarmouk University - Jordan
• Prof. Dr. Jamila Mohamed Ali Farsi, Professor, Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdul Aziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Prof. Dr. Marie Abboud, Chairperson, Dept. of physics, Faculty of Sciences, St. Joseph University - Lebanon and Fellow of the FWIS International Programme 2009
• Prof. Dr. Nahla Hwalla, Professor of Nutrition and Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences at AUB.
• Dr. Najwa Khalife, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs Manager For the Middle East Zone - L'OREAL
• Prof. Dr. Shadia Ragheb Tewfik, Research Professor at the Chemical Engineering and Pilot Plant Laboratory of the National Research Center in Egypt.

The Jury chose eight exceptional Arab women scientists respectively from Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Tunisia, Sudan, Iraq, and Bahrain:

• Dr. Alia Shatanawi (Jordan), from the University of Jordan, will continue her studies on vessel dysfunctions amongst diabetic patients.
• Dr. Heba Salama (Egypt), from the Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University will further her studies on introducing new winter forage grass species to the Egyptian agricultural system and to investigate their yield performance and nutritive value.
• Dr. Hiba El Helou (Syria), from Damascus University will further her studies on dental implants.
• Dr. Lina Khanj (Lebanon), from the American University in Beirut, will further her research on traffic offloading in LTE/ Wifi networks.
• Dr. Noura Bougasha-Elleuch (Tunisia) from the Ecole Nationale des Ingénieurs de Sfax (ENIS) will undertake research in the field of thyroid diseases.
• Dr. Rasha Osman (Sudan), from the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences - University of Khartoum will advance her studies on Integrated Performance Modeling of Database Designs.
• Dr. Reyam Al Malikey (Iraq) from the Women Science College at Baghdad University will work on advancing her studies concerning mercury exposure assessment in Iraqi women's hair.
• Dr. Sumaya Abbas (Bahrain), from the Arabian Gulf University, will continue her studies in solid waste management in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Through the For Women in Science programme, L'Oreal and UNESCO have worked together for the past 14 years to promote the cause of women in science. Each year, the programme highlights scientific excellence with 5 International awards, one per continent, and encourages young women to pursue scientific careers with 15 International Fellowships, 180 National Fellowships and 20 Regional Fellowships.