Amal Amin Ibrahim Shendi

Biography

The first Egyptian young scientist who attended world economic Forum-Summer (WEF) DAVOS 2009 and 2010-China based on the initiative of IAP to empower the young scientists worldwide. She attended and co-organized the founding workshop of global young academy (GYA) in Berlin (2010) to become one of the few active founders of GYA and its executive committee member for the following three years after foundation (GYA; 2010-2013). She was founding group leader of women in science (WIS), member in science advice group and the selection committee of GYA. Dr. Amal wrote to ASRT to establish the Egyptian young academy of sciences (EYAS) and liaised the fact- finding mission of GYA to launch EYAS where ASRT responded to IAP initiative and launched EYAS (2012-2014). Therefore, Dr. Amal became co-founder and advisory board member of EYAS.
Dr. Amal is a full professor (from 2014) at National Research Centre (NRC)-Egypt and she was group leader of the nanostructured polymers at the centre of excellence. She earned her B.Sc. in chemistry from Ain Shams University and her M.Sc. in organic chemistry from Cairo University. With a DAAD scholarship/Egypt joint fund at Ulm University-Germany/Cairo University, she earned her Ph.D. in polymer technology & catalysis. Since then, she has occupied different positions as visiting professor at nanotechnology program-faculty of Engineering-Cairo University. Research stays brought her to France, USA, Spain and again to Germany for several times. etc. She supervised and headed several international, national projects, postgraduate students and other activities. She carried out two memorandums of understanding between Egypt, Georgia and MTU-USA. She has lots of scientific publications in highly ranked journals and acts as reviewer and referee in nanotechnology, polymers and nanocomposites for international journals and organizations. Dr. Amal visited +30 countries tens of times where she organized and attended numerous national, international events/conferences worldwide where she was invited to tens of high-level reputable meetings as TWAS-TYAN conference (Brazil, 2017, science diplomacy), NASAC international forum on women and sustainable development (Tanzania, 2018), youth employment (Turkey, 2018), renewable energy (Argentine, 2018), INGSA (Japan, 2018), Globlics (Ghana, 2018), AAAS meeting (Boston, USA, 2017), etc. Dr Amal was selected to attend world science forum 2015&2017 (moderator of WIS sessions and speaker) & 2019. She was selected for AAAS-TWAS science diplomacy course (Italy, 2016). Dr. Amal represented GYA in 2nd INGSA-EU conference on science policy making (Belgium, 2016). She attended the international IAP science communication workshop in Korea (2014) and co-organized several science days with EYAS along Egyptian governorates to enhance public science literacy. Dr. Amal participated in mentorship programs of NYA, GYA, etc. Dr. Amal was selected in many scientific reputable organizations as member as in task force for Islamic young academy (IWAYS, 2014), Arab-German Young Scientists Forum (2011), New York academy of science (NY, 2014-2016), TWAS Young Affiliate (2010-2014), TWAS-TYAN; founding member of AETDEW and NARIMA (North Africa research & innovation management association; 2020), etc. Dr Amal was a reviewer of ASM-AAAS-TWAS REGIONAL COURSE ON SCIENCE DIPLOMACY (2021). Dr Amal was appointed to act as a panel member of students’ selection committee with the Pan African University Institute of Life and Earth Sciences (Including Health and Agriculture; 2020 & 2021). She was appointed as review committee member for TWAS-Atta-ur-Rahman award for young scientists (chemistry, 2021-2023) and member of (the Science in Exile (interim) steering committee for refugees and displaced scientists; 2021; TWAS-IAP-ISC).
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In 2023, She was elected as fellow of international science council (ISC). In 2022, she was appointed as member of board of directors for ORCID (2022-2024). She acted as advisory board member for Arab science week. She is a member in Catalyst 2030 global initiative for social entrepreneurship. Dr Amal was the founder and president for the Egyptian society for advanced materials and nanotechnology. Also, she was the coordinator of the Arab network for advanced materials and nanotechnology. She is the founding chair of the women in science without borders (WISWB) initiative and the world forum for women in science which is held every year world-wide where the first meeting was held in Cairo, (March, 2017) and the next meeting were held in South Africa (March 2018), again in Egypt 2019, in Brazil (February 2020), in Duhok-Iraq dedicated for refugees in March 2021, in Kenya in November 2021 and in Malaysia (2022). Also, she is chair and organizer of Youth science forum (January 2021) and Saturday science webinars with themes of challenges facing humanity at the age of COVID-19 and beyond, Inspire me-success story, etc. In December 2020, she cofounded and chaired Northern African Research and Innovation Management Association (NARIMA) initiative. Dr Amal is a founder for science diplomacy for the future initiative (2021). She got several national, international awards and was nominated to IUPAC prize for WIS (2015). As example; Dr. Amal was selected as one of the most successful 40 women over 40 in Egypt (women of Egypt, 2020) and one of the distinguished women in Egypt in science (women of Egypt, 2021). In 2021, Dr Amal has received outstanding women in tech award of Africa-north Africa (Africa), the award of science by women provided by women for Africa foundation (Spain) and the national award for ministry of culture for the Egyptian distinguished women. Dr. Amal achievements were featured in women in science-inspiring stories from Africa (NASAC-IAP-2017), SAYAS Success stories of young scientists (2016), scientific African (2019), nature (global, April 2020 & middle east 2020), the next truth (2018, 2020), NASAC book on (Women and sustainable development in Africa-2020), royal society of chemistry (2020), Women in Science. Africa edition in commemoration of Women’s Month, August 2020, scidev.net/Mena (2020) and others. In 2022, Dr Amal was classified by the global gender scan among the women in science and technology in Africa and the middle east representing Egypt who (They make the difference). Dr Amal has several scientific and societal activities on national and international levels. She is especially interested in science communication, simplified science, increasing public awareness/literacy for science, science advice/science diplomacy, innovation, science policy, science education, etc