Professor Omran Fadl is the Director of the Leishmaniasis Research Laboratory at the Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum (Sudan). Due to the war in Sudan, he is temporarily residing in Egypt. The Schlumberger Foundation has invited him to attend the 2024 East Africa Women in STEM Conference, held in Kampala from April 22 to 25, 2024, in collaboration with SLB in Uganda. The Schlumberger Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting STEM education. Recognizing the vital connection between science, technology, and socio-economic development, as well as the crucial role of education in realizing individual potential, their main program is Faculty For the Future (FFF).
The long-term goal of the Faculty for the Future program is to create conditions that encourage more women to pursue scientific careers by reducing the barriers they face when entering STEM fields, thus closing the gender gap. Fellows are expected to return to their home countries upon completing their studies, where they contribute to economic, social, and technological advancement by enhancing STEM teaching and research faculties at their local institutions. They also pursue positions in the public sector, where their newly acquired technical and scientific skills can provide evidence-based support for policy-making. In doing so, they become strong role models and inspire girls and women to pursue scientific careers.
Since its launch in 2004, 915 women from 93 developing and emerging countries have received Faculty for the Future fellowships to pursue PhDs and post-doctoral studies in STEM at prestigious universities worldwide. The program also fosters a sense of community through forums, both online and in person, and through focus visits to support the alumni community at home.
At this event, Professor Omran Fadl contributed to the discussions. The Schlumberger Foundation invited him to attend the 2024 focus visit to meet program alumni from the region and other stakeholders involved in supporting the education of girls and women, including government officials, university representatives, NGOs, and industry leaders. They discussed the remaining barriers to parity in STEM fields and formulated an action plan for collaboration to mitigate these barriers.
