Deborah Blaine // South Africa

Debby Blaine is an associate professor in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. She teaches undergraduate engineering classes in Strength of Materials and Materials Science, and supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate research students. Debby’s disciplinary research area is powder metallurgy (PM), including sintered materials and additive manufacturing, and the mechanical behaviour of materials. She is also keenly interested in engineering education and has been awarded a Teaching Fellowship at Stellenbosch University (2021-2022) where she is researching the collaborative design of learning opportunities within engineering, seeking out the student voice in order to promote diversity and inclusion. Prior to joining Stellenbosch University, she was the Deputy Manager of Materials Research and Development (2006) at Bleistahl Produktions GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, a PM valve seat insert and valve guide manufacturer. She holds a PhD in Engineering Science from The Pennsylvania State University, USA (2004) and BEng in Mechanical Engineering from Stellenbosch University (1996). She is a fellow of the South Africa Institution for Mechanical Engineering, was national president 2018-2020, and was chair of the Western Cape branch 2011-2013. She is a founding board member of the South African Society for Engineering Education, and was national president (2017-2019).

Ghada Amer // Egypt

Ghada Amer is Vice Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research  Faculty of Engineering – Benha University, the President of Center for Strategic Studies of Science and Technology, and V.P. the ASTF. She holds few more positions within her profession, like the Director of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Benha University, the CEO and the Co-founder of ASTF innovation Lab, the ex-Head of Electrical Engineering Department at Benha University and the CEO of the Global Awqaf Research Center. because she believes on the important of R&D and innovation for community, she selected in 2016 to be one of the Rolex Enterprise Awards for Innovation Jury members. She was names in Jan 2014 as one of “Top 20 Influential Muslim Women Scientist in the World”, by on Muslim-Science Magazine. And named as the “Personality of the Year”, from Muslim Science magazine, United Kingdom 2015, Also she ranked the first place for the 50 most prominent leader in entrepreneurship of the Arab woman in 2014 issued by the Sayidaty magazine, and in 2016,2017 she named one of the “the 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2016”,  in the field of science and technology, by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. She published about 42 paper in international journals Prof Ghada is an active advocate on socio-economic development that is based on RDI within her country and the region. She worked since 2009 as a volunteer with the Arab Science and Technology Foundation and later joined as a volunteer Manager for Women Programs. For her active participation, she was elected as a member of the Board of Directors (2011) then the VP of the Foundation (since 2012). Within her involvement with the ASTF, she developed and led more than 20 projects and programs to support scientific development and entrepreneurship. During the past three years (by fundraising), she was able to raise more than $ 2 million, to support research, innovation, and entrepreneurship activities that aim to create jobs and to support the Arab community. She helped to established 142 startups on innovative ideas from the region.

Cecile Uwimana // Rwanda

Cecile Uwimana is an engineer by profession holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering, she is a fellow member of the Institution Engineers Rwanda (IER). Since 2017, through GCRF Africa Catalyst Program, she is incubator supporting young graduate engineers to bridge the gaps between higher learning institutions and engineering industries by providing mentorship and internship program which links theory and practice to expand graduates’ skill sets and increase opportunities for employment. As woman Engineer, Cecile is a mentor and role model for different graduate women engineers in Rwanda. Over 21 years of professional engineering experience in Construction of  Multistoried, Multifunction buildings and Utility infrastructure projects, Cecile is a Project Manager dedicated team leader who has capacity to build a relationship with all parties to ensure an efficient working environment. Since 2000, Cecile is passionate engineering practician, she is doing consultancy, supervision, and project management for different private projects in Rwanda.

Vânya Pereira // Angola

Vangiliya Yotana Ribeiro Filipe Pereira (Vânya Pereira), of Angolan nationality, has been an employee of the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technologies since March 2011, where she worked as a consultant to the Secretary of State for Telecommunications from March 2011 to 2014 on subjects related to Digital TV and the Angolan National Space Program. Overall she has worked in the Telecommunications field for over 18 years, where she worked not only as technician but also in different fields of management roles. In July 2018, she began the role of Deputy General Director for the Technical and Scientific field of ​​the Angolan Management Office for the National Space Program (GGPEN). She holds a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Bradford in England, UK and a Master of Science degree in mobile and Satellite Communication from the University of Glamorgan in Wales, in the United Kingdom. She is Specialized in design, architecture and operation principles of satellite and certified by the Russian Space Agency as an operator of satellites, having previously exercised the function of Shift Flight Director for the Angolan Satellite Mission Control Centre. She is also certified by UNISEC in design and Assembly of small satellites (HeptaSats) and has also been actively engaged in the SADC satellite shared network committee and the SADC Digital TV.

Trudy Morgan // Sierra Leone

Trudy Morgan is the first African woman to be awarded a Fellowship of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the first female Vice President and first female President of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers. Trudy has over 30 years of experience of project based assignments, successfully applying her engineering, consulting and project management skills to a wide range of business problems enabling implementation of practical and cost effective solutions. She has worked in the construction, health and transportation sectors and is in delivering project management expertise to public and private sector clients as wells as international development organizations.