09/Nov/2011: Dr. Nadia M. Alhasani, Director of the PI WISE Program, delivers a lecture at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria. The presentation entitled “Balancing Gender Realities and Expectations”.
Dr. Nadia M. Alhasani, Director of WISE Program and Professor of Engineering and Applied Science, was invited to deliver a lecture at Johannes Kepler University (Linz, Austria) November 9, 2011. The presentation, entitled “Balancing Gender Realities and Expectations: The Case Study of the Petroleum Industry in Abu Dhabi, UAE,” was part of a public lecture series at the university under the theme “For Future Innovations: Gender in Science and Technology.” Dr. Alhasani expanded on the role of women in the UAE and the strides made especially over the past few years beginning with the appointment of the first women, Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qassimi, as a minister in the federal government in 2004. The presentation highlighted the role of the federal government in supporting women in entering the UAE workforce and explained the misconceptions that many perceive in regards to the status of professional women in the MENA region given the traditional norms in place. ADNOC’s strategic decision to establish the WISE Program at the Petroleum Institute is a convincing example of a successful partnership between the local industry’s willingness to invest in women entering one of the most male-dominated professions and the support of the society in encouraging their daughters to enroll in science and engineering programs towards joining the oil and gas sections.
