International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) is a current network for women professionals, which was founded in 2002 with the intention to support women and girls in engineering and science across the world. [1] [2] The current (2020-2023) President is Jung Sun Kim, from Dongseo University, South Korea.
According to their mission statement, the network seeks to encourage the education and retention of professional women in these fields through international collaboration. [3] [1] The founding of the network received support from UNESCO. Founding members include Canadian engineers Claire Deschênes, Monique Frize and Gail Mattson, current Immediate Past President of INWES and past president of SWE, Society of Women Engineers, USA. [4] [5] The network currently has over 60 countries involved, including the Association of Korean Women Scientists and Engineers, Women's Engineering Society (UK), the German Association of Women Engineers (DIB), the Society of Taiwan Women in Science and Technology (TWiST) and African Women in Science and Engineering (AWSE). [1]
The network took over the management of the International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES), which first took place in 1964 in New York and has met every 3–4 years since then. [6] ICWES serves as a meeting point for women practitioners in science and engineering from across the world. [6] Since INWES took over the management of the conference, it has taken place in Ottawa, Canada (2002); Seoul, Korea (2005); Lille, France (2008); Adelaide, Australia (2011); Los Angeles, USA (2014); and New Delhi, India (2017). ICWES 18 will take place in Coventry, UK, in 2021. [6]
The archives of INWES are held in the University of Ottawa Archives and Special Collections. [7]
The Education and Research Institute (INWES-ERI) [8] is an initiative of INWES.
Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development.
The World Wide Web has become a major delivery platform for a variety of complex and sophisticated enterprise applications in several domains. In addition to their inherent multifaceted functionality, these Web applications exhibit complex behaviour and place some unique demands on their usability, performance, security, and ability to grow and evolve. However, a vast majority of these applications continue to be developed in an ad hoc way, contributing to problems of usability, maintainability, quality and reliability. While Web development can benefit from established practices from other related disciplines, it has certain distinguishing characteristics that demand special considerations. In recent years, there have been developments towards addressing these considerations.
Elsie Eaves was a pioneering American female engineer, the first female associate member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and a founding member of the American Association of Cost Engineers.
Dorotea Bocchi (1360–1436) was an Italian noblewoman known for studying medicine and philosophy. Dorotea was associated with the University of Bologna, though there are differing beliefs regarding the extent of her participation at the university ranging, from whether she taught or held a position there. Despite these debates, there is consensus that she flourished and was active at the university for more than 40 years, beginning from 1390 onwards.
Monique Frize,, née Aubry is a Canadian biomedical engineer and professor, knowledgeable in medical instruments and decision support systems. Notably, her scientific research and outreach efforts led her to receive the prestigious distinction of Officer of the Order of Canada.
Veena Rawat is an electrical engineer who specializes in telecommunications. Rawat was the first woman to graduate with a PhD in electrical engineering from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. She held executive positions managing programs related to radio frequency spectrum engineering for all wireless and space communication services in the Canadian Government, was the President of the Communications Research Centre (CRC), and was the Vice President and Ambassador to the International Telecommunication Union, for Blackberry, Advanced Technology Division, Canada. In 2014 she was awarded the Officer of the Order of Canada (OC) for her lifetime achievements and contributions at the national and international levels to wireless communications.
The history of women in engineering predates the development of the profession of engineering. Before engineering was recognized as a formal profession, women with engineering skills often sought recognition as inventors. During the Islamic Golden Period from the 8th century until the 15th century there were many Muslim women who were inventors and engineers, such as the 10th-century astrolabe maker Al-ʻIjliyyah.
Women are often under-represented in the academic and professional fields of engineering, however many females have contributed to the diverse fields of engineering historically and currently. A number of organizations and programs have been created to understand and overcome this tradition of gender disparity. Some have decried this gender gap, saying that it indicates the absence of potential talent. Though the gender gap as a whole is narrowing, there is still a growing gap with minority women compared to their white counterparts. Gender stereotypes, low rates of female engineering students, and engineering culture are factors that contribute to the current situation where men are dominated in fields relating to engineering sciences.
The Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society (CMBES) is a technical society representing the biomedical engineering community in Canada. CMBES is supported by its membership which consists of biomedical engineers, biomedical engineering technologists and students. CMBES also hosts an annual conference and regular webinars. It produces a number of publications including the Clinical Engineering Standards of Practice and a Newsletter. The Society's aims are twofold: scientific and educational: directed toward the advancement of the theory and practice of medical device technology; and professional: directed toward the advancement of all individuals in Canada who are engaged in interdisciplinary work involving engineering, the life sciences and medicine.
Katharine Stinson (1917-2001) was an American aeronautical engineer and the Federal Aviation Administration's first female engineer.
Isabel Helen HardwichMInstP was an English electrical engineer, an expert in photometry, and fellow and president of the Women's Engineering Society.
Susan Bird is a British acoustic engineer and past president of Women's Engineering Society (WES).
Claire Deschênes is a Canadian mechanical engineer, an engineering professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Université Laval, and a member of the Order of Canada. She is the first female professor of engineering at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Laval University, and is an expert in hydraulic turbine technology, hydrodynamics, and fluid mechanics.
Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha was India's first female engineer.
Lee Kong-joo is a South Korean emeritus professor of pharmacy at Ewha Womans University previously served as President Moon Jae-in's Advisor for Science and Technology.
Marja "Maria" Ludwika Watkins was a defence electronics engineer, lecturer and President of the Women's Engineering Society.
Kwang Hwa Chung is a South Korean physicist who has served as president of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science and the president of the Institute for Basic Science. She has received the Moran Medal of the Order of Civil Merit, as well as other honors and awards for her scientific research and work to promote professionalism for women in STEM fields.
ICWES is an international conference for engineers and scientists. Established in 1964, it takes place every 3–4 years in countries around the world.
Cicely Thompson M.B.E. was a nuclear engineer.
Ila Ghose was a mechanical engineer and West Bengal's first woman engineer. She was the first female alumna of the Bengali Engineering College.