July 2022 www.womanthismonth.com 64 PEOPLE | interview You are renowned in the field of engineering, but could you kindly tell our readers a little about yourself? During my school years, my favourite subject was always Maths as it was based on logic. My enjoyment for Maths grew during high school, where I attained the highest score in the subject nationwide. I was also excited by the idea of designing things for the advancement of society, and so, my passion led me to pursue engineering for my undergraduate studies. I received a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering from Kuwait University, followed by MSc in Computer Engineering from the University of London and ultimately a Ph.D. Degree in Computational Intelligence from Brunel University – London. I am honoured to have been the first Bahraini woman to receive a Ph.D. degree in Engineering. I recently joined the American University of Bahrain as Adjunct Professor, prior to which I was the Director of Technology Development at BFG International. Prior to this appointment, I had held academic positions and served in various key strategic, academic and planning committees at the University of Bahrain (UOB) and Ahlia University. I also currently chair the ICT committee of the Federation of Arab Engineers and am currently serving as a Programme Evaluator and Reviewer for a number of academic related organisations. I also conducted various consultancy projects in the IT field and am a referee for several International Journals in the area of Electronics and Computer Engineering. You have received several honours throughout your illustrious career. Could you tell us about some of the most memorable ones? Sure. The HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Outstanding Academic Women Pioneers Award, the GCC Engineering Union Award for Pioneers Dr. Raida Al Alawi is a wellaccomplished woman who has received several awards and accolades for her efforts in the field of engineering – a profession that is widely dominated by men all around the world. She has proved to be a prime inspiration for women pursuing the field in the Kingdom having been the first Bahraini woman to receive a Ph.D. degree in Engineering. She spoke to Farah Baig about her most recent milestone achievement – being named the ‘President of the Bahrain Society of Engineers (BSE)', making her the first female president in the history of the society. A Woman in Power
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