SYNOPSIS

The importance of increasing the participation of women in the workforce, especially in science and engineering sectors has been recognized around the world as being essential for economic growth and innovation in developing new industries and for the Knowledge Economy. According to UNESCO Science Report: towards 2030, Malaysia is currently no.39 in world ranking, where more than three out of ten engineers are females, which is an encouraging and quite positive outlook for the nation’s economic and social development. With the increasing number of female engineers coming into the industry, it is hoped that more role models of female engineers will be introduced via IEM Women Engineers Section as an inspiration for the current and upcoming generation of Malaysian female engineers for them to remain active and employed without sacrificing family and personal growth. By empowering women in Malaysia that they can do difficult and challenging jobs such as engineering, it will help the society to recognize that women’s abilities are not limited to just soft skilled jobs and are as capable as men. Thus, as a united and balanced society, we all can work hand in hand in building Malaysia into a better place and to become one of the first-class nations in years to come.

The talk will cover:
The realities of Malaysian female engineers working in the industry, the good and the bad;
Breaking the society’s or family’s perception against working in mixed-gender environments;
Benefits and impact of having more female input and female working in high-position within the engineering industry;
Ideas in promoting STEM (Science, Technology & Engineering and Mathematics) for the young female generation in Malaysia.


Biodata of Speakers

Ir. Sofiana Balkhis Bt Talha graduated from Brighton University in 1992 with a B.Eng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and from Imperial College, London with an MSc. in Soil Mechanics and Environmental Geotechnics. She has 24 years of geotechnical engineering experience with a wide range of foundation designs for civil projects. Currently she serves as a Division Director for Geotechnical Division in Ranhill Bersekutu where she’s been with them since 2007. Previously before Ranhill, she was attached to UiTM as a lecturer for 2 years and with SSP Geotechnics Sdn. Bhd in 1993 and worked there for 12 years.

Pn Najiha Bt Nadzru graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara, UiTM in Diploma in  Civil Engineering, B.Eng of Civil Engineering in 2009 and later from Asian Institute of Technology, AIT, Thailand in Master of Engineering (Geotechnical & Earth Resources Engineering). Currently works as a Geotechnical engineer with BSG Construction Malaysia (Bachy Soletanche) for 4 years. Previously worked in consultancy firm, Ranhill Bersekutu under Geotechnical Division.

Noorfaizah Hamzah graduated from Universiti Teknologi MARA in 2008 and is presently the Senior Lecturer at Faculty of Civil Engineering UiTM Shah Alam.  She is currently the PhD student of University of Adelaide, Australia and has experience in collaboration of research work in Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Korea during her Master’s Degree. She has more than 9 year’s experience in the engineering academic domain. She has experienced in both overseas and local universities and her interest study areas extends to soil mechanics, geotechniques, and rock engineering.