On Thursday 30 January 2014, at the New Campus Library Conference Room, the Public Relations Department hosted a workshop celebrating pioneering Palestinian women in the field of Information Technology. Attendees heard from pioneers Nagham Joudeh, and Mrs. Ramziyah Ja’aysah from the TechGirls Programme about their experiences training in the USA.

Youth pioneer, Nagham Joudeh, spoke to students and attendees about her own experience training as part of the TechGirls programme in the USA, held by the Legacy International Association.

As part of the programme highlights Nagham spoke of how training involved working with some of the biggest American technology companies: Yahoo; Google; and Facebook to name but a few.

She went on to describe the contents of the training programme which covered subjects such as electronic website designs, 3D games, leadership skills, cultural awareness and project planning. Nagham and her colleagues were able to learn from experts in their field and discuss various technical topics with them.

Mrs. Ja’aysah went on to give a presentation on the TechGirls Programme, including how to enroll. Mrs. Ja’aysah encouraged those present to consider their future participation and the importance of developing female pioneers in their field. She cited the example of Marie Curie, the first woman to win Noble Prize and the only woman to win it twice for both Physics and Chemistry.

The attendees went on to discuss, with the guest speakers, the importance of having leading women in the field of technology. Female leaders who are capable of taking forward their countries national priorities, and fostering equality with their male counterparts in every aspect of society.

Notes:

1. The workshop was hosted by Muhammad Murshid from the Public Relations Department of An-Najah National University
2. TechGirls, a U.S. Department of State initiative.

• It is an international exchange programme designed to empower young girls to pursue careers in the science and technology sectors.

1. Legacy International administer the programme on behalf of the State Department
2. The programme is a 3 week exchange programme.